District: Providence School District
Author: Jason Allard
Introduction
Classical High School, founded in 1843, is a public exam school in the Providence School District, in Providence RI. It was originally an all-male school, but has since become co-ed. Its motto is a translation of the famous translated Latin phrase, "To Strive, to Seek, to Find, and Not to Yield". It has been rated "High Performing and Sustaining" by its performance in 2005 on the New Standards Reference Exam, placing it third highest in the state. Classical High School stands roughly at the intersection of the Federal Hill, West End, and Upper South Providence neighborhoods.Classical High School is a magnet school, which is a public school offering a specialized curriculum, often with high academic standards, to a student body representing a cross section of the community. According to data from 2009, there are 1045 kids enrolled in grades 9-12. There are 69 teachers, which equates to a student to teacher ratio of 15:1. Of the freshman who were enrolled from 2004-2005, 93.8% graduated in 2008 (Info Source). This number is significantly higher than the state average of 74% in 2008. The purpose of this report is to analyze three main factors that play a role in Classical High School's performance. The three that will be covered are the following: Accountability (student achievement), students' point of view, and health behaviors.
Classical High School Location:
FIG. 2
Classical High School is proficient in both mathematics and English language arts based on the Rhode Island state target. The Rhode Island state target for mathematics was an estimated score of 62 and the average for all students was 79.6. The Rhode Island state target for English language arts was an estimated score of 75. The score for all students in English language arts was 21.3 points higher than the state target at an average score of 96.3. The above Fig. 1 shows a comparison between score averages of all students, Hispanic students, and economically discouraged students. Each of the statistics required a minimum 45 students in each group, so some demographics may not be represented. The performance of each of the groups represented are consistent with each other and show that cultural and economic backgrounds do not play a factor in this school's performance.
In addition to the greatly exceeding each of the state targets, Classical High School also boasts a huge participation rate. According to data from the InfoWorks website, 100% of the students enrolled at Classical High School who were eligible to take the exams participated, as can be seen in Fig. 2. It can be said that with regards to testing and state standards, Classical is maintaining consistent positive results both in Mathematics and English Language Arts. The demographics that were not included (African American, Asian, Native American, students with disabilities) may have fully participated, but did not meet the requirement of 45 participants in order for their results to be published in the report. Of the 19 targets evaluated for Classical High School, 19 were met. This reinforces the notion that Classical is a high performing high school.
Performance progress from the past 5 years has shown a consistent trend between Rhode Island test scores and the scores of Classical High School. Mathematics test scores show a correlation in the slight decline that has occurred. Despite this, Classical's mathematics scores are still 12-15 points higher than the state average over the 5 years. In English and Language Arts, the state and Classical High School have shown consistency, although the scores for Classical are repeatedly 10 points above the state average. Simply put, the students at Classical are high achieving and show no signs of declining.
Students attending Classical High School reported a relatively low percent of negative emotions compared to other Rhode Island High Schools. Of the students, 45% felt that they could talk to a teacher about academic issues and 10% felt comfortable enough to talk about personal or family problems.Of the students, 1 out of 5 reported not getting along with teachers and roughly 1 out of 4 reported drug use being pressured upon them. Less than 1 out of 10 students felt that bullying was a problem, however. Contrasting with this statistic, almost 1 out of 3 students reported that they have been robbed. To summarize, violence is not a major factor in Classical High School, but drug use and robbery seem to be a bigger problem. As an inner city school with a low amount of income, the students' actions may be reflective of their socioeconomic standing. The children need money so they resort to stealing or selling drugs. They rarely resort to violence, though. Based on the students' reactions to their environment, Classical High School needs to take further precautions into how students protect their belongings. Solutions to these problems may be to ensure working lockers, have a hallway patrol system, or to education students on ways they could handle their belongings more responsibly.
Conclusion
Overrall, Classical High School is a high performing school located in inner city Providence. While taking into account demographics as well as factors such as accountability, student's point of view, and health statistics, it is astounding to see the progress such a school has made. The fact that it is a magnet school reinforces the idea that the students at Classical are there because they want to learn. Compared to schools in the surrounding area it can be seen that Classical is a special school in that it is able to educate children in a supportive environment despite the generally poor communities surrounding it. More information on these surrounding schools can be located in the related context reports and can provide a more in depth comparison.
(The siting is being ridiculous... help?) i have that problem too, try manually deleting spaces and numbers at the bottom of the page... also, are you going to include charts/tables?
Gilbert Middle School is a middle school containing grades six, seven, and eight. It is located within the Providence School District in the zip code of 02907. This area of Providence is in the southwestern region of Providence. The student eligibility for subsidized lunch in this middle school is 95% in comparison to a state wide percent of 43%. Also, in this middle school 16% of students are involved in ESL or bilingual education services compared to a state wide percent of 5%. 873 students attend this school with a teacher-student ratio of 1:12 which can be compared to a state wide ratio of 1:11. [1] This area of Providence is one of the poorer and less educated regions of Providence which reflects into the information that has been gathered from this middle school.
Proficiency
First of all, Gilbert Stuart Middle School has a lot of diversity. In this school there are 44 different cultures represented out of the 873 students attending the school. 59% of the students are Hispanic, 23% are African American, 9.7% are Asian, 7.3% are White, and .8% are Native American. [2] Looking at the statistics of students by characteristics (8th grade) in 2008-09, we can see that there is not a great deal of fluctuation between different types of students. For example, the percentage of students proficient in math is exactly the same between students in poverty and students not in poverty. Reading proficiency percentages are about the same as well at 32% and 26% respectively. In this case, it is surprising to see that a bigger percentage of student in poverty are proficient in reading. Another comparison is between races of students. Between African American and Hispanic students, the statistics were very similar with 12% and 15% proficiency in math and 33% and 29% proficiency in reading (both respectively). The one that stands out, though, is the Asian population of students in eighth grade. Proficiency percentages in both math and reading were higher than the other two groups of students. The Percentage of proficient students in math is 42%, which is significantly higher, and the percentage of proficient students in reading is 29%. A final comparison is between male and female students. In both math and reading, the female student population had a higher percentage of proficient students. For the male student body, 13% of students were proficient in math and 20% were proficient in reading. For the female student body, 20% of students were proficient in math and 42% were proficient in reading. [3] In Gilbert Stuart Middle School, there exists a positive environment for students and learning. Students are eager to learn with goals of doing well in school and dedicated teachers embrace professional development, and encourage positive change. Good paragraph
Testing
Testing in this middle school unfortunately produces very poor results. According to the NECAP exam in the school year of 2009-10, Gilbert Stuart Middle School is shown to be much lower than the state averages. In the sixth grade assessment of math, only 3% of students were proficient with distinction compared to 19% of the state, 18% were proficient compared to 40% of the state, and 56% were substantially below proficiency compared to 23% of the state. In the sixth grade assessment of reading, 2% of students were proficient with distinction compared to 15% of the state, 37% were proficient compared to 53% of the state, and 25% were substantially below proficiency compared to 11% of the state.
Student Surveys
There is more to a school than just looking at test scores, though. From various surveys taken by the students of Gilbert Stuart Middle School, some facts about the comfort level students feel during school were revealed. For example, 17% of students attending this Providence middle have said that they are not getting along with their teachers. This seems like a very low percentage until it is compared to the percentages of many other schools in Rhode Island. In Barrington Middle School, for example, only 8% of students claim to not get along with their teachers. When asked if someone has every tried to sell them drugs, 9% of student said they have experienced this. This statistic is also higher than that of Barrington who’s percentage was 6%. In Gilbert Stuart Middle School, 32% of students confessed to being robbed at school at least once. And, again, this was higher than the percentage in Barrington which was 23%. The next percentages that are presented are interesting. 14% of students in Gilbert Stuart Middle School claim to have family problems most of the time and 19% of students claim this in Barrington. Also, 22% of student in Gilbert Stuart Middle School say they are academic problems most of the time whereas 57% of students from Barrington say the same.
SALT Visit Team Report
February 27, 2004
In addition to the supporting facts previously examined for Gilbert Stuart Middle School, The SALT Visit Team Report for 2004 states that Gilbert Stuart Middle School is “categorized as low performing” and “in need of improvement making insufficient progress.” Recognized in the SALT report is the difficulty of learning due to the fact that, to many parents, English is a second language. It was expressed that writing in Gilbert Stuart Middle School is the most focused on subject toward improvement. Students write in every class and in many different ways including journal entries, reports, portfolios, and more. Although the students’ writing level is significantly low, the focus on extensive writing is making a step toward drastic improvement in this subject. On the other hand, students’ knowledge in math is poor. Students have trouble with problem solving and were observed to become frustrated easily with math problems. Not many teachers are able to effectively guide students through problem solving solutions. Teachers express their need for help in effective methods of instruction in mathematics and hope to soon receive guidance. As a whole, most students hold a desire to succeed in school. Most all students have goals of going to college and getting a job after high school. Most students are proud of their achievements in school and are admired by their peers for them.
Conclusion
As a conclusion for Gilbert Stuart Middle School, the performance overall is substantially lower than what it should be compared to other schools in Rode Island, but also seems to be making progress. While test scores show how inefficient the school is, the SALT Visit Team Report shows the potential that the school has. This is why schools cannot solely be evaluated on test scores. From other sources, we are able to see that the students are eager to improve as well as the teachers. There is a positive atmosphere for the students and with time, should only improve. Once the school learns how to overcome its biggest drawbacks, this school will be a lot more successful. try to add some specific details about your research to help tie it up
One of the best attributes to living in a major city is having a diverse sense of the arts within the culture. Within the city of Providence, the arts are not only a part of the culture, they are also a part of the educational system. Hope Arts School, which is located in the heart of Providence, is a public high school with currently 600 students enrolled. Because it is a high school, the students range from grades 9-12. Hope Arts is a branch of the larger high school, Hope High School. This report's audience is any individual looking for information on the schools within the Providence school district, specifically Hope Arts High School. For this report, I will be using the following indicators: Demographics, Assessments, Accountability, Teaching Practices, Health, and the Students' Point of View on their own school.
Demographics:
Providence, Rhode Island is a very diverse city, and this shows in their various demographics. When it comes to ethnicity, 51.7% of Hope Arts students are Hispanic, 29.8% are African-American, 11.1% of students are Caucasian, 6.3% are Asian, and the remaining 1.1% of students are Native American.[1]
The majority of students at Hope Arts, 53.7%, are female and the remaining 46.3% are obviously male.[2] Considering that the area surrounding the school is somewhat poor, 87.2% of the student body receives free and/or reduced priced lunches, and only 12.8% pay the full price.[3] When it comes to students needed special education services, there are only 21.3% of students who need this kind of attention, a relatively good number.[4] The students of Hope Arts High School come from very diverse backgrounds and it's quite evident in their demographics and special needs.
Assessments:
A important part of a school's standing and their overall reputation is their ability to perform on standardized testing. Hope Arts High school as a whole could use improvement on its assessments. When it comes to Grade 11 state-wide testing, only 10% of students of the students are proficient in mathematics, 64% proficient with/without distinction in reading, and 25% proficient with/without distinction in writing.[5] In all subjects of the SAT's, Mathematics, Reading, and Writing, Hope Arts is over 100 points below the state average, but a good percentage of the students do take the exam.[6] On the mathematics section of the exam, the school average is a 346, where the state average is a 487. On the reading portion, the student average is a 373, compared to the state average of a 483. On the writing section of the SAT's, Hope Arts average was a score of a 353, which is put against the Rhode Island state average in writing of a 479.[7] Although the scores of Hope Arts students are somewhat low, 48% of the students took the exam, compared to the state average of SAT's takers, which is 57%.[8] 48% is a relatively good number when pinned against the state average. Overall, Hope Arts high school should use this information that is available to them to try and improve their scores for following years.
A lot of the students' ability to perform on these tests has to do with their characteristics. For instance, only 10% of poverty-stricken students were on their way to reaching proficiency in mathematics, and 64% were on their way in reading.[9] No one information was collected for non-impoverished students, which indicates that less than 10 students participated. When it comes to ethnicity, 0% of African-American students were reaching proficiency in math, and 67% were reaching it in reading.[10] 12% of Hispanic students were reaching proficiency in mathematics, and 59% of those students were reaching it in reading.[11] Another influence on the student's performance may be their gender. Males at Hope Arts had 10% reaching proficiency in math and 68% reaching proficiency in reading.[12] Females at Hope Arts, very close to the males, had 11% reaching proficiency in math and 62% reaching proficiency in reading.[13] One of the biggest, if not the most influential, characteristics would be the ability to speak English and having a disability. Only 9% of students with disabilities were reaching proficiency in math, and 45% were reaching in reading.[14] On the other hand, 11% of students without a disability were reaching proficient in math, and 68% were reaching in reading.[15] When it comes to language barriers, 10% of Non-English language learners were proficient or reaching proficiency in math and 65% of those students were proficient or reaching proficiency in reading.[16] Overall, the different characteristics of students has a huge impact on their school and testing performance.
Accountability:
A huge part of a school's overall being is the job it does to meet and exceed certain standards. Every school has a target for various things that they'd like to accomplish, such as particular score levels, participation rates and graduation rates. Certain targets and standards are set for a school, and that school gets credit for meeting/exceeding their target. When it comes to state testing at Hope Arts, their Mathematics target is 63.2% and their English-Language Arts target is 75%.[17] Overall, the students didn't meet their target, scoring 47.2% on math and 71.9% on ELA.[18] The Asian student population only have scores for their ELA test, and scored 67.0%[19] . Also, the economically disadvantaged students scored a 48.7% on mathematics, and 73.4% on ELA.[20] No other information is represented on the charts.
Although the scores were not close enough to the targets, the participation rates and graduation rates were very good. The only scores to exceed their targets were the participation rates. For both Mathematics and ELA, the target is 95%, and both exceeded and hit 97.7%, which is great.[21] As for graduation rate, the state rate of graduation is 79.2% of students, and Hope Arts came close at 76.5% of students graduating.[22] Overall, Hope Arts is either meeting or working their way towards meeting and exceeding their state standards.
Teaching Practices:
One of the most imperative things to look for in a school is the student-teacher interaction, and how that interaction impacts the student performance. In Hope Arts, it seems that the students have a mixed level of interaction with their teachers, and this not only impact their performance, but it encourages them to be more involved and help their fellow classmates. For example, only 23% of teachers say that they examine their students' work to guide instruction.[23] Although this percentage could be improved, 75% of Hope students receive teacher instruction in writing skills.[24] 59% of students say that the material they are instructed relates to their interests.[25] Considering that most students are not enthusiastic about going to school in general, this seems to be a pretty good percentage. On the other hand, only 36% of students revise their papers, which is something that all students should be doing in order to learn new skills and improve their writing abilities.[26] When it comes to student on student interaction, 27% of students say that they provide helpful feedback to their classmates, which is a good thing no matter what the numbers are.[27] Finally, 63% of Hope Arts students say that they are taught problem solving and decision making, which is a good amount of students.[28] Overall, the students of Hope Arts High School have both good and bad results when it comes to teacher interaction and influence, but they seem to be making improvements to increase these numbers.
Health:
The health of the students is one of the most important things in a school, and it's good to make sure that the environment that the students are in are healthy as well. At Hope Arts, there is a somewhat low percent of students who are involved with risky behaviors and attitudes. When it comes to smoking at least once a day, about 18% of HA students admitted to it.[29] When it comes to chewing tobacco, about 15% of students admitted to using it. 21% of students at Hope Arts said that they've used illegal drugs, and about 30% said that they've drank at least once in the span of a month.[30] Not all students use these products, but a higher percentage of students admit to their friends approving these products. About 30% of students say their friends would approve if they smoked marijuana regularly, and the same amount of students said their friends would be alright with it if they had more then five alcoholic drinks once of twice every weekend.[31] The students at Hope Arts seem to somewhat get involved in risky behaviors.
Another part of a student's health is their interaction with technology, diet, sleeping pattern, and self-image. 35% of Hope Arts students said that they've had problems with acne or weight issues, being either overweight or underweight.[32] 70% of students, a surprisingly large amount of students, admitted to getting seven or less hours of sleep a night, where the average a teenager should get is eight or more.[33] When it comes to diet, 35% admitted to not having fruits or vegetables within the past day and 50% of students said they eat breakfast, the most important meal of the day, two or less days of the week.[34] One of the biggest obstacles for students nowadays is focusing due to distractions from technology. 50% of Hope Arts High School said they watch television for two or more hours a day, a pretty unhealthy amount.[35] Around 38% also said that they IM (Instant Message), check their e-mail, or talk in chat rooms for two or more hours a day as well.[36]
Overall, the health of the Hope Arts High School students could be improved by engaging in less risky behaviors, eating healthier, getting more sleep, and spending more time away from technology.
Student View of their School:
In my opinion, the most important way to show a school's success is by getting the students opinion. No one knows a school better than the students that attend that school. Their opinions about their comfort level and relationship with staff are very important. When it comes to comfort levels, 38% of students felt comfortable discussing academic issues with a teacher or other staff members, and 21% felt comfortable enough to talk about family or personal issues.[37] On the flip side though, something should be altered if students do not feel comfortable in their academic environment. When questioned, 19% admitted to being robbed once or more at school, 12% admitted that teasing is a big hassle for them, and 13% admitted that someone in their school attempted to sell them drugs once or more.[38] Based on this information, Hope Arts needs to provide a more comforting environment for their students, and perhaps it will have an influence on other aspects of their school life.
Conclusion:
Overall, Hope Arts High School in Providence, Rhode Island is a complex and interesting school. The various measures of their success and faults are listed above: Demographics, Assessments, Accountability, Health, and student Point of View. Hope Arts, as shown by their demographics, is a diverse school, having students of all races, classes, and abilities. The students could use some improvement on their state-wide assessments and their accountability in order to improve their standings against other schools in the state. The health of the students and their view of their own education and experience could also use improvements. This report contains information that is important for people to know because it shows truly how Hope Arts High School is performing overall as well as in many different aspects. The information is relevant to those students who are thinking of attending and parents who are thinking of sending their children to Hope Arts. If the principal and other authority figures of the school examine the material provided about their performance and overall community and use this information to make improvements, Hope Arts has the potential to become a very positive and influential school in the state of Rhode Island.
Central High School Providence School District Ruqayya El-Asmar
“The mission of Central High School is to instruct students in practical knowledge, foster positive attitudes, encourage commendable behaviors and promote opportunities in order for students to realize their potential to thrive in a global technological society.”
Introduction
Central High School is located in the heart of Providence, Rhode Island. This school includes grades 9-12 and is home to 1,719 students. This report analyzes various aspects of the school including assessments of the students in math and reading, accountability and progress of the school when compared to other Rhode Island high schools, the curriculum and instruction that students are receiving, as well as the student-teacher relationship at Central High School. This analysis can give parents and teachers a better understanding of Central High School, and conveys the school's strengths as well as its weaknesses.
Assessment
The students in Central High School have very low proficiency levels in all subjects; math, reading, and writing. This is especially true for math, where 80% of the students in the 11th grade are considered substantially below proficiency levels, and only 4% of the students are considered proficient.[1] Students tested better in writing and reading, but still more than half of the students are not considered proficient. Reading is the only subject in which students are considered proficient with distinction, yet this only include 4% of the students. 35% of these students are considered proficient, while 33% are substantially below proficiency. [2] In writing, 17% of students are considered proficient, while 22% of students are considered substantially below proficiency. [3] While students are struggling the most in math, the scores in reading and writing also need improvement.
Based on the characteristics of students, there is a much higher percentage of students who have more difficulty in math, and they have lower proficiency in this subject when compared to reading. When looking at proficiency in math, racial backgrounds does not appear to influence the proficiency levels. 100% of Asian and White students are not reaching proficiency in math, while 97% of African Americans and 94% of Hispanics are not reaching proficiency.[4] These students have similar percentages of proficiency when tested in reading, with only White students pulling slightly ahead with only 33% of students not reaching proficiency.[5] There is no significant difference in the schools of students who are in poverty when compared to those who are not affected poverty. Gender also does not seem to have a great difference in reading, but males have 93% of students not reaching proficiency, while 99% of females are not reaching proficiency in this subject.[6] 100% of the high school students with disabilities who were tested did not reach proficiency in either math and reading, which may be a reflection of a lack of programs to accommodate students with special needs.[7] Racial background, economic standing, and gender all have little effect on the proficiency levels of Central High School students.
Accountability and Progress
The students in Central High School are not reaching state targets or showing adequate progress performance in index scores. This is especially true for math, which seems to be a subject that these students have particular difficulty with. Regarding the state targets in reading, most students are either above or extremely close to the target index scores.[8] Students with disabilities have significantly low scores, which might be a result of a lack of resources for the students with special needs. The economically challenged students who suffer from poverty do not have lower index scores when compared to other students who have equally below state targets.[9] While Central High School is showing slow increases in index scores in both reading and math, they are still significantly below other Rhode Island high school index scores.[10] The students in Central High School are not making the progress they need in order to catch up to other high school students in Rhode Island.
Curriculum and Instruction
The curriculum at Central High School is lacking in the advanced placement classes that are offered and the number of students who take the exams. 0% of seniors have taken AP exams. This compared poorly to the Rhode Island state averages off 22% of seniors who take these exams, with 60% of these exams are scored at college-level mastery.[11]
The type of instruction given by Central High School teachers and the methods they use in the classroom are consistently within the maximum and minimum ranges of other Rhode Island High Schools, though they are not always equal to Rhode Island High School averages. Central High School surpasses state averages in the writing instruction given to the students as well as the examination of student’s work and the guidance and instruction given to them by their teachers.[12] In all other aspects, the school scores lower than Rhode Island High Schools, and are close to the minimum range. Students are not taught problem and decision making skills in the classroom, and the materials taught do not relate to student’s interest.[13] There is also not enough revision of the written work done by students, and a lack of students giving feedback to one another in the classroom. [14] While there seems to be adequate student-teacher interaction, there does not appear to be sufficient interaction between students.
Student-Teacher Connectedness
The student-teacher relationship at Central High School is weaker than it is in other high schools in Rhode Island. A smaller percentage of students in Central High School feel that they can talk freely to their teachers about academic and personal problems when compared to other Rhode Island High Schools. This is especially true for the expression of personal or family problems, where only 9% of students say that they are comfortable expressing personal issues to their teachers.[15] This score is at the very minimum of Rhode Island High School ranges. Only 23% of students say that they feel comfortable discussing academic issues with their teachers, compared to 47% of students in other high schools in Rhode Island that feel comfortable with this openness.[16] This inability to interact with teachers when having difficulty in school may influence the low test scores and slow progress toward improvement. Less than 20% of students say that they receive individual help and advising from teachers, and this is higher than the average for other Rhode Island high schools. Students need more individual attention from teachers and advisors, and are not getting the services they need in order to succeed.[17]
Only 50% of teachers believe that they interact with students in a way that shows interest and respect, and this is significantly below state averages.[18] 50% of teachers believe that they use positive approaches to help children behave constructively, which is again significantly below Rhode Island high school averages.[19] The advisory program in Central High School is also lacking, and they need a program that is led by the teachers as there are in other Rhode Island High Schools. Students need more personal interaction with their teachers and individual guidance based on their needs. They need to feel more comfortable in discussing academic issues in order to improve and show progress in their work.
SALT Reports
According to the SALT Reports, students are entering Central High School with gaps in their education, and are missing basic skills that are needed to compete with other schools in the district and in the state. Without adequate programs to address these needs, students are not able to succeed at the level that is expected of them, and it leads to poor performance.
From the conversations with teachers and meetings with students, the SALT report concluded that the quality of instruction and the curriculum are inconsistent, and do not meet the needs of the students. Almost several times a month, students are assigned worksheets and have multiple choice or short answer questions. They are also often assigned problems from the textbook and do not participate in enough hands-on learning activities, which occurs only monthly.[20] Peer tutoring occurs a little less than monthly, and there are not many activities in which students can work together and get to know each other. This can also be reflected in only monthly occurrences of group projects.[21]
Because most assignments are from the textbook and the exams are in multiple choice and short answer form, 30% of students do homework for less than 30 minutes a night during the week and 39% of students do homework between 30 minutes to one hour. Over the weekend, 46% of students study for less than 30 minutes and only 4% of students study between two to three hours.[22]
The expectation for student performance is very low, not only in the eye of the administration, but it is also affecting teachers. This is leading to an undemanding curriculum that involves teaching basic skills and multiple choice based tests. The students lack class discussions and projects, and there needs to be more emphasis on their critical thinking abilities and incorporating hands-on activities into the classroom.
Conclusion
Central High School is a very racially diverse school located in the center of Providence. These students have difficulty in math, reading, and writing, and are not showing sufficient improvements when compared to other Rhode Island high schools. The curriculum and instruction is more focused on basic skills and multiple-choice based testing, and does not place enough emphasis on critical thinking and discussions. Students need more one-on-one interaction with their teacher and advisers, and students would highly benefit from this attention and this could lead them to improve academically. This analysis of Central High School is important for students, parents, teachers, and administrators to examine and understand. The community can use the information that has been explored in this report to make improvements and progress in Central High School.
^Rhode Island Information Works. (n.d.). Providence. Learning and Achievement; Assessments. Retrieved November 6, 2010, from Link
^Rhode Island Information Works. (n.d.). Providence. Learning and Achievement; Assessments. Retrieved November 6, 2010, from Link
^Rhode Island Information Works. (n.d.). Providence. Learning and Achievement; Assessments. Retrieved November 6, 2010, from Link
^Rhode Island Information Works. (n.d.). Providence. Learning and Achievement; Assessments. Retrieved November 6, 2010, from Link
^Rhode Island Information Works. (n.d.). Providence. Learning and Achievement; Assessments. Retrieved November 6, 2010, from Link
^Rhode Island Information Works. (n.d.). Providence. Learning and Achievement; Assessments. Retrieved November 6, 2010, from Link
^Rhode Island Information Works. (n.d.). Providence. Learning and Achievement; Assessments. Retrieved November 6, 2010, from Link
^Rhode Island Information Works. (n.d.). Providence. Learning and Assessments; Accountability. Retrieved November 6, 2010, from Link
^Rhode Island Information Works. (n.d.). Providence. Learning and Assessments; Accountability. Retrieved November 6, 2010, from Link
^Rhode Island Information Works. (n.d.). Providence. Learning and Assessments; Accountability. Retrieved November 6, 2010, from Link
^Rhode Island Information Works. (n.d.). Providence. Curriculum and Instruction; Advanced Placement. Retrieved November 6, 2010, from Link
^Rhode Island Information Works. (n.d.). Providence. Curriculum and Instruction; Teaching Practices. Retrieved November 6, 2010, from Link
^Rhode Island Information Works. (n.d.). Providence. Curriculum and Instruction; Teaching Practices. Retrieved November 6, 2010, from Link
^Rhode Island Information Works. (n.d.). Providence. Curriculum and Instruction; Teaching Practices. Retrieved November 6, 2010, from Link
^Rhode Island Information Works. (n.d.). Providence. Safe and Supportive Enviornments; Connectedness. Retrieved November 6, 2010, from Link
^Rhode Island Information Works. (n.d.). Providence. Safe and Supportive Enviornments; Connectedness. Retrieved November 6, 2010, from Link
^Rhode Island Information Works. (n.d.). Providence. Safe and Supportive Enviornments; Connectedness. Retrieved November 6, 2010, from Link
^Rhode Island Information Works. (n.d.). Providence. Safe and Supportive Enviornments; Connectedness. Retrieved November 6, 2010, from Link
^Rhode Island Information Works. (n.d.). Providence. Safe and Supportive Enviornments; Connectedness. Retrieved November 6, 2010, from Link
^SALT Reports. Classroom Practices; Traditional Practices. (n.d.). . Retrieved October 31, 2010, from Link
^SALT Reports. Classroom Practices; Traditional Practices. (n.d.). . Retrieved October 31, 2010, from Link
^Central High School. Homework Hours. (n.d.). . Retrieved from Link
The Primrose Hill School is located in Barrington, Rhode Island. Grade PreK- 3rd Grade are taught in this school. There are 347 students in this school. 95% are White, 4% are Asian, and 1% are African American. Four students receive English as a Second Language services. 5% of the students qualify for free and reduced price lunch and 14% receive special education services. There are different class styles to choose from at this school. You can do a three-year multi-age program or a 1-2 year looping program. There is also a K/1 program for students who are not yet ready for 1st grade.
Assessments
Only the 3rd grade students are tested a the Primrose Hill School. Starting in 2006-2007 Primrose Hill School had 11% of students who scored substantially below proficiency in Math, 7% were considered partially proficient, 40% who were proficient, and 42% who were considered proficient with distinction. The total Math proficiency for this year was 82%. In the 2007-2008 school year 7% of students were substantially below, 12% were partially proficient, 45% were proficient, and 36% were proficient with distinction. The total proficiency for this year was 81%. In 2008-2009 school year 18% of students were partially proficient, 54% were proficient, and 27% were proficient with distinction. The total proficiency for this year was also 81%.[1]
The Reading score were better than the Math scores. In 2006-2007 4% were substantially below, 6% were partially proficient, 59% were proficient, and 31% were proficient with distinction. The total proficiency for this year was 89%. In the 2007-2008 school year 2% were substantially below, 10% were partially proficient, 59% were proficient, and 29% were proficient with distinction. The total proficiency for this year was 88%. Then for the 2008-2009 school year 8% were partially proficient, 55% were proficient, and 37% were proficient with distinction. The total proficiency for this year was 92%.[2]
Accountability
This school is not diverse and therefore only accounts for the scores of white students. The average math score in 2008 was 92%, which was well above the state average of 74.5%. The average English score was 96.1% which was also higher than the state average of 84.1%. Their attendance rate is 95.9% which is better than the state average which is 90%.[3]
In the 2005-2006 school year the average math scores were 97% and their English scores were 98%. Both of these scores were above the state averages which were 81% and 85% respectively. In 2006-2007 the Math score was 94% and the English score was 97%. These were also above the state averages which were 83&% and 86%. Finally in 2007-2008 the math scores were 92% and the English scores were 96%. And once again the schools scores were well above the state averages of 82% and 86%.[4]
Recruiting Teachers
There are a total of 26 teachers in this school. In this school 13% of the teachers have worked in the field of education for more han 25 years. Also 13% of the teachers have 3 years or less of experience.
Between 2005 and 2006 less than 60% of the teachers in this school responded to the SALT survey compared to almost 80% in the entire state. In 2006-2007 only about 50% of the teachers in this school responded to the SALT survey and about 80% of teachers across the state responded. In 2008-2009 closer to 40% of the teachers in the school responded to the survey and close to 60% statewide responded.[5]
Around 50% of the teachers in this school believe there is not enough time for adequate planning. About 30% said there was a lack of time for team planning. Close to 20% of the teachers in this school feel that teacher training is lacking. Just under 20% of the teachers in this school believe that the school is lacking developed curriculum. And about 10% said that they think the school is pretty disorganized.[6]
Just over 60% of the teachers in this school feel they are encouraged to make their own decisions. Close to 90% of the teachers in this school said that their team or grade level share information with each other. 90% of the teachers in this school feel that the staff pushes themselves to do their best work. In this school 60% of the teachers believe that they are good at handeling student discipline or behavioral management. Just under 40% of the teachers in this school believe they accomplish school wide goals. Only about 50% of the teachers in this school feel they have the opportunity to take part in decisions.[7]
Conclusion
Over all this is a very good school. They are not very diverse and all of the information I was able to collect only accounted for white students. They have pretty high test scores especially in English. Their teachers seem pretty satisfied with the way the school is run. Their teachers also seem pretty well experienced.
William B. Cooley, Sr. Health & Science Technology High School
District: Providence
Author: Kyle Hollenbeck
Introduction
William B. Cooley, Sr. Health & Science Technology High School is a high school which includes grades 9-12 and is located in Southern Providence in which there are just about 400 students enrolled. This report will give a summary of the schools Standardized Testing Results in comparison with the RI state average as well as describing the success of the teaching methods used in concordance with both student responses, parent responses, and testing results. The target audience for this report is any person who finds him or herself interested in what type of students attend Cooley High School, how the school performs as a whole, and the overall safety and environment of the school itself.
William B. Cooley is located in the Southeastern portion of Providence and resides in the 02905 zip code region just above Roger Williams State Park. Although most of its students are located within its 1.5 Mile radius buffer zone, it has students scattered throughout other various regions of Providence. The Southeastern "tip" of Providence (or the 02905 zip code region) is a fairly poor region with a median household income of $32,323, which is significantly lower than the countrywide median income of $41,994.[2] Along with this, 20.7% of the population is below the poverty level. Fortunately, Cooley is able to maintain a safe and supportive environment despite its location in a poorer section of Providence.
William B. Cooley is a very diverse school having a large amount of students from various ethnic backgrounds. It seems to be in accord with the Demographics of Providence as a community seeing as how 68% of its students are Hispanic and 21% are African-American. Although only a mere 1% of the students who attend Cooley are Bilingual, it is shown by Information Works that 16% of the students who attend the school use English as a second language. According to SchoolMatters.com, 59.3 of Cooley's students are economically disadvantaged.[4] This seems to go in accord with Information Works data shown in that 81% of its students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.
As shown by the Performance Progress graph shown on the Information Works site, the performance of William B. Cooley's students dropped in the years 2008-2009. Although the drops are only 3, 2, and 7% in Mathematics, Reading, and Writing respectively, the effect of the drops is heightened due to the fact that RI high schools' SAT scores increased on average by 5, 7, and 4% in Mathematics, Reading, and Writing respectively. Reading appears to be Cooley's strong point seeing as 34% of the 2008-2009 Grade 11 class reached proficiency whereas in Math and Writing for that year only 7 and 17% reached proficiency or higher. Cooley definitely needs to improve its percentage of students who are proficient in all three areas of Mathematics, Reading, and Writing, especially since the schools average for theses standardized testing sections all dropped from 2008 to 2009.
Since there are fewer than 45 students of each "group" of students classified aside from those of a Hispanic background or those who are economically disadvantaged, those two groups of students are the only ones whose scores can be into account to be compared with the state target. As a whole, the school met the state target in both Mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) earning a 54.1 and a 77.3 respectively. While they actually attained a higher average than the state target in ELA, their Math score was lower by 9.1 but still seen as meeting the state target due to significant progress towards the target itself. Both Hispanic students and Economically Disadvantaged students surpassed the state target in ELA, earning a 77.6 and 76.2 respectively, but missed the state target in Math (56.9 and 53.3 respectively). However, Hispanic students as a whole were counted as having met the state target due to significant progress shown towards the target. Although Cooley has been given credit as meeting the state target for both Math and ELA index scores as a whole, the Math score is still below the target in reality and the ELA is only just above it. In other words, improvement is still needed.
It would appear that student-teacher relationships are not as strong they should be at Cooley seeing as only 29% of the students feel as though they would be able to talk about academic issues they are having with their teacher. However, students do appear to be a bit more straight-edge than most Rhode Island schools concerning illegal substances and consumption of alcohol. This would show that although the teachers may not set up a completely academically comforting environment, it is still one that can have a good impression upon the students. Also on the plus side, crime appears to be low in Cooley in comparison with other schools in RI. Considerably less students have been robbed at Cooley (19%) than the state average of RI (27%) schools shows and the percentage of students who have been hassled to buy drugs is about half that of the state average with only 16% of Cooley students being bothered and with a state average of 29%.
Curriculum and Instruction
[9]
From the teacher's perspective, Cooley appears to be above average in consideration of RI high schools concerning its Curriculum and Instruction. A little more than double the percentage of teachers (55%) than in the average RI high school (26%) state that Students provide feedback to one another at least weekly. In all the other categories polled for weekly habits the Cooley percentage appears to be higher than that of RI high schools in general. Cooley seems to be in accord with the RI state average concerning its thoughts on parents participation in their child's education. Only a little less percent of Cooley students' parents (79%) than the state average (82%) feel that the community supports Cooley itself; however, 20% of the teachers at Cooley feel that the parents actually are supportive, whereas the state average for this feeling of parental support by the teachers is around 28%. Pertaining to students' work habits and participation in class noticed by teachers, the percentage seems to be significantly above the state average. However, the feeling that the community is involved in the school seems to be less in the perspective of parents, teachers, and students, than the state average for these three. [10]
SALT Report 2008
For the most part the SALT report from 2008 agrees with the results of the
Information Works site. The chart on the right is just a small example of this and shows a more in depth explanation of the chart above regarding the community's support of the school. Also many of the higher percentages from 2003 in the "Does not Do" section have gone down significantly since then showing that Cooley has improved in satisfying its community.
As shown by a chart graphing the ratings of students' perceived school
climate, the students' perceptions have all improved since 2003. However, all five categories of "Overall Score", "Teacher's Provide Support", "Clarity of Behavioral Expectations and Rules", "Students show Commitment", and "Positive Student Interactions Take Place" were marked as being true "sometimes on average by the students at Cooley. The exact ratings given were 3.3, 3.2, 3.7, 3.6, 3.5 respectively. [11]
In regards to teacher-student relationship results found in the 2008 SALT Report, the teachers appear to have much faith in the students learning-capabilities as well as dedication to their schoolwork. When asked to rate student behavior, on average, the highest rating given out by teachers for students have a "Moderate Problem" was "Underachieving" with a mere 20% while the highest rating given on average for "Serious Problem" was
"Persistence on Challenging Assignments" with just 8%. In the students' reports of classroom instructional practices, it was shown that, on average, the students voted in between "Hardly Ever" and "Sometimes" on the following conditions: "Integration and Interdisciplinary Instructional Experiences", "Small Group Learning Activities", "Community Based
Learning Opportunities", "Papers, Presentations, and Written Assignments", "Activities that Promote Understanding Different Cultures." These five categories averaged a 2.6, 2.8, 2.5, 3.0, and 2.9 amongst the students respectively. [12]This shows that the curriculum the teachers present is well-rounded and doesn't spend too much time on one certain aspect while leaving not enough time for another.
Conclusion
William B. Cooley, Sr. Health & Science Technology High School's strong point appears to be in its relatively safe and well-rounded environment rather than in its grades. Teaching practices may need to be improved in order to raise the scores but, from the information presented by the information Works site and the 2008 SALT report, it seems as though Cooley has relatively less crime than other schools in Rhode Island and has a relatively supportive community of its teaching practices (Although the teachers may not feel as supported as the parents claim they are being). One thing as far as student-teacher relationships that could be improved to help both environment and academics would be for the teachers to make sure that students feel comfortable enough to ask questions when they need help seeing as only 29% of the students feel as though they can talk with a teacher about academic issues. On the Academic sides of things Cooley needs to improve both its SAT scores as well as its Math and ELA index scores (more so Math than ELA). Not only are the percentages of proficient students in Math, Reading, and Writing low, but they also fell between the years of 2008 and 2009. Cooley seems to be doing considerably well with its school environment seeing as it is located in a fairly poor part of Providence and just needs to improve its students' grades in order to be considered one of the better of Rhode Island High Schools.
Nathanael Greene Middle School is located on Chalkstone Avenue in Providence, Rhode Island. This school includes grades 6 - 8 and serves approximately 870 students each year. The majority of students who attend NGMS are Hispanic, but there is also a high proportion that are Caucasian and African American. There is a teacher-student ratio of 1 : 17, and approximately 50 teachers total. This report aims to inform the general public of the the amount of students at NGMS that are proficient in math, reading, and writing, whether or not students are reading the No Child Left Behind standards, the health of its students, and the teaching practices that occur in the classroom. I have found that NGMS is doing an adequate job of preparing its students for high school and their future, but there is still a lot of room for improvement.
Assessments
NGMS seems to be similar to many schools in the Providence area in terms of assessment, but is in fact behind in terms of the state of Rhode Island. This graph shows that children fall behind every year in both reading and math. Also, writing scores are tested in grade 8 which seems to be on the low side, with only 44% of children above proficiency or proficient. The performance progress on the RI Works website indicates that NGMS is about average with schools tested in the state in the area of math, but below compared to the rest of the state in reading and writing. It is disappointing to see scores like this so early on in students' academic careers, because it makes it more difficult to catch up later in high school. Student characteristics indicate that students living in poverty are more likely to be less proficient in math and reading than their peers who are not living in poverty. This is not extremely surprising because statistics show that students who are living in poverty are likely to be behind compared to their peers. Also, something that I found shocking was that 90% of students with disabilities were considered to be not reaching proficiency in math, and 84% were considered to not be reacing proficiency in reading. Also, the two ethinicities that are further behind than their peers are African American and Hispanic students. Asian students are the most proficient ethinicity at this school, followed by Caucasian students. It is evident that by these statistics that NGMS is not preparing their students appropriately for their future, and they will probably face many obstacles in high school because they are not where they should be academically.
Accountability
NGMS is barely meeting its targets for the No Child Left Behind Act. With the exception of students with disabilities, this school met its target in the mathematics category. However, the majority of students did not meet the language arts target. Caucasians are the only ethnicity that are meeting both of the targets, which is disappointing because there is a large proportion of Hispanic and African American population in the school. Both Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students are meeting the math requirement, but not the language arts requirement. Students with disabilities is the only group that is not meeting either, and unfortunately, is not even close to the target. These extremely low scores could reflect a potential bias in the test, and if this is the case, revisions should be made to correct this bias. However, the good news is that NGMS met and went above its participation target. Even though these scores indicate that its students are a little behind, this school was considered to make adequate yearly progress. Furthermore, NGMS was behind compared to performance progress in the state of Rhode Island, but not by a significant amount. This data allows us to conclude that NGMS is meeting its NCLB requirements, but just barely.
Health
Middle School is a time where students are developing habits that are likely to stay with them for the rest of their lives, and it should be a priority for parents and educators to make sure that these habits are healthy. However, it seems that the majority of students at NGMS are not developing habits that will be beneficial to them in the future. About 15% of students reported that they had used illegal drugs and 25% reported that they had drank alcohol at least once within the last 30 days. When students are engaging in behaviors like this early on in adolescence, it is possible that habits like these will become worse and more destructive in the higher grades. Even more shocking was the amount of students (60%) that reported that they watched TV 2 hours a day or more. This is a decent amount, especially when scores on state assessments are lower than they should be. Also, 40% of students reported that they get 7 hours of sleep or less a night, which could also be leading to lower test results and hinder students' attention during the school day. Furthermore, approximately 35% of students reported that they perceive themselves to have problems with acne, their weight, or height. Middle school is the time where puberty is taking place, and confidence can be put to the test. The fact that students at NGMS are already experimenting with alcohol and drugs, coupled with their percieved "flaws" and lack of exercise and sleep, leads me to conclude that these students' health is already in a decline. Middle school should be the time where parents and schools are doing their best to promote healthy habits that will stick for the rest of these students' lives, and it seems that this is not being done.
Teaching Practices
Something that I believe gets overlooked too frequently in accountability and assessment heavy schools is the teaching practices that occur everyday in the classroom. It is important to look at what skills students are being taught (or not being taught) because they will need certain skills later in life. 61% of teachers from NGMS reported that they provide students with instruction in writing skills at least weekly, which is something that students definitely need in order to be prepared for high school and college. This score is lower than the state average of 71%, which suggests that students at NGMS are not as prepared as other students in writing skills . Even more frightening was that a lower percentage, 59%, of teachers reported that students are taught problem solving and decision making strategies weekly. In other middle schools, 70% of teachers are teaching problem solving skills weekly, which means that the students at NGMS are not learning the same skills as their peers in other schools. These skills are extremely important for students to learn in middle school because the earlier they are taught, the more natural they become, and will facilitate learning in high school and later in life. Also, only 27% of students revise their reports or papers, which is also a skill that students should be taught early in their academic careers.
Conclusion
It seems that NGMS is a middle school that is doing a medicore job in many aspects of their students' education. Assessments results show that students are falling behind every year that they are there, and are behind when compared to other students in the state. Even though their scores are probably not the worst in the state, they indicate that students are not being Furthermore, NGMS is making its NCLB targets, but just barely. It is not up to par on language arts requirements, which could be because of ESL learners, or perhaps a less visible factor. Also, students have reported that they are engaging in behaviors that are likely to be damaging to their health and well-being in the future, like using illegal drugs, alcohol, and not sleeping enough. While it is not the sole responsibility of the teachers and administrators to make sure that students have healthy habits and making good decisions, schools should make sure that they are stressing how important these habits are. Teachers reported that strategies that could be beneficial to students later in the academic career, giving feedback on students' writing and teaching problem-solving strategies, are not being used the majority of the time in the classroom. It is evident that NGMS is doing an average to slightly below average of preparing their students for high school and the rest of their lives, but this is likely to decline with the way things seem to be going. NGMS needs to make serious changes in order to improve the quality of their students' education.
To provide a challenging academic experience for students that encourages life-long learning. We endeavor to provide students with a safe, healthy learning environment where they have opportunities to maximize their potential as responsible citizens and active members of society.
Introduction
Mount Pleasant High School is one of 39 high schools within the Providence Rhode Island school district. It is located at 434 Mount Pleasant Avenue in north west Providence, a relatively poor area compared to the rest of the state. Mount Pleasant High School is made up of approximately 1400 students and 116 faculty members and serves students from grades nine through 12 (1). They have a six period day schedule which begins at 8:20 am and ends at 2:50 pm (1). Best known for their boy's basketball, Mount Pleasant provides students with a learning community with extracurricular activities, however, academic performance is strikingly low. This report will overview this school's demographics, the school environment, and student performance. [1]
Demographics
Student Ethnicity
This School
State Average
Hispanic
58%
18%
Black, not Hispanic
27%
9%
White, not Hispanic
9%
69%
Asian/Pacific Islander
6%
3%
American Indian/Alaskan Native
<1%
<1%
Mount Pleasant is a very diverse high school with majority of their students having a Hispanic ethnicity. There are almost 3 times as many Hispanic students in this school compared to the Rhode Island's state average at a large percentage of 58%. 27% of students are Black, and 6% are Asian and less than 1% are American Indian. At Mount Pleasant only 9% of students are white, a dramatically lower percentage than the state average of 69%. There are approximately 1400 students who attend Mount Pleasant High School. There is a student to teacher ratio of 18:1, which is slightly more students to a teacher than the state average of 13. [2]
School Environment Extra Curricular Activities: Mount Pleasant has an enriching environment including many extra curricular activities for students to be involved in. Students can partake in yearbook, instrumental music, dance, majorettes, robotics, debate and athletics including softball, football, basketball, cross country, wrestling, volleyball, indoor and outdoor track, cheer leading, soccer and baseball. Out of all these activities, the school is best known for their boy's basketball team, the Kilties. They also hold activities such as prom, winter dance, honor's night, athletic awards, and an academic decathlon. [3]
Special Programs: Mount Pleasant participates in free or reduced lunches if the students qualify. 69% of students at Mount Pleasant are eligible for this lunch program. This school also has programs for those who speak English as their second language (ESL) and also those who are bilingual. 8% of students participate in the ESL program and 7% participate in the bilingual program. They also have a special education program in which 13% of students are self-contained and 7% are in general education with supports. [4] Student's Points of View: Students report a fairly stable and safe environment at Mount Pleasant High School. 24% of students report that they feel comfortable talking to a staff member at school about academic issues and 12% report that they feel comfortable talking to a staff member about personal or family problems they are having. Only 15% of students report that not getting along with their teachers is a hassle. A small 13% claim that teasing or bullying has been a hassle for them at Mount Pleasant. However, 26% of students say that they have been robbed at school one or more times and 26% say that someone has tried to sell them drugs in school. Overall, the environment in school is mostly safe yet there are a few hazards of being robbed and being involved with drugs. [5]
Proficiency: Overall, Mount Pleasant High School has low levels of academic performance. From the 2008-2009 school year, in grade 11 only 1% of students tested proficient in mathematics. 11% are partially proficient and a striking 88% of Mount Pleasant students are substantially below a proficient level. Math is the worst subject over all, however, the others also show low levels of academic performance. In writing, only 13% of grade 11 students in 2008-2009 were proficient. Reading is the most successful subject, yet still only 35% of students were proficient. Writing and reading proficiency increased from the 2007-2008 school year to the 2008-2009 school year. However, math showed a decrease in proficiency from the 2007-2008 school year to the 2008-2009 school year. All of the subjects showed a significant amount of less proficiency than other Rhode Island schools. Also, the diversity of students by race, sex, poverty, and language did not substantially effect proficiency in any subjects. SAT scores from Mount Pleasant are much lower than state averages as well as national averages. For example, the mathematics section SAT average score from Mount Pleasant is 368, whereas the Rhode Island average is 487, more than 100 points higher.
Reference - double click to edit
Graduation Rates: The graduation rates at Mount Pleasant High School are much poorer than the average of Rhode Island. Only 65% of students graduated from Mount Pleasant in 2008, whereas the average rate for Rhode Island was 73.9%. The drop out rate for 2008 was 22.6% for Mount Pleasant and only 15.5% averaged for Rhode Island. Only 1.7% of students from Mount Pleasant High School completed their GED in 2008, almost only half of the average for Rhode Island, 3.2%.
Reference - double click to edit
Conclusion
Overall, Mount Pleasant High School gives their students a fairly safe and fairly enriched environment. There are many extracurricular activities provided at the school including after school clubs and also athletics. Mount Pleasant students report mediocre safety standards and fair comfort with their teachers and staff. The academic performance of Mount Pleasant High School students is very poor in relation to Rhode Island and national averages. Also, the graduation rates compare poorly with the state averages. Though the high school has relatively good environment and community, the learning at Mount Pleasant High School needs great improvement.
Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center
District:State Operated School; main student source is Providence
Author:Cynthia Kirchner
Introduction
The Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center, commonly called the Met.,is a unique school that inspired a dramatic change in schools across the country. It is only fifteen years old and it was founded on the ideas of an individual learning plan for students. The school uses a variety of different techniques to challenge, inspire, and encourage its students to do their best. The program is unique, one of only twelve and it was the original and prototype. This school requires that the student and their families submit an application to the MET to be considered to be a student. The school does not have as much structure as a "normal" public school would. They do not grade students by their tests and such but by a two page report about the student and their progress addressed to the parents from an adviser. The students' progress is evaluated by a board, through presentations of the student's individual portfolios.[1] The school has about 29 students to every one teacher.[2] It is a state run and funded school that is based out of Providence, RI. The Met is located in the Lower South Providence Region on Public Street. The school requires an application to get in and the school is required to accept seventy-five percent of its incoming class to be from the Providence area, and the remaining twenty from other areas around Rhode Island.[3] This report is intended for the general public to view and evaluate the MET based on the data collected from various resources such as SALT surveys, Information Works.com and from the school's own home website. The report will evaluate the effectiveness of the unique program that is the Met, by looking at the demographics, academics, environment, and school climate.
Demographics and Academics
Since the population of the Met comes from all different places around Providence and Rhode Island on would suspect a great deal of diversity of ethnicity and backgrounds. As the student population is predominantly Hispanic, forty-three percent, White, twenty-eight percent, and African American, twenty-six percent, one could say the the population is very diverse. The population also includes two percent of each Asian and Native American students. The area of Providence that the school is located in is also a very diverse area, as compared to the rest of Providence. The poverty level, as indicated buy the percent of students participating in the subsidized lunch program, is relatively high, sixty-four percent eligible, as compared to the Rhode Island state average, of seventeen percent of the child population living under the poverty line. This indicates that the population of students would be under outside stress and might be a lower performing in academics as this is shown to be a leading factor in classroom difficulties.[4]
This graph depicts the rate at which students are meeting, or missing, the specific standards set by the state for achievement on the standardized testing. The graph clearly shows that while the students at the Met are mostly proficient in reading they lack proficiency in mathematics. The graph shows the achievements of the students by ethnicity as well as by poverty level, and shows what one would stereotypically think. That the impoverished students did better overall as well as the Caucasian population, while the African American and Hispanic students performed at a lower level of proficiency. This could be an indicator of outside education for the more financially fit families or a sense of discrimination by the establishment. However the latter is not indicated in any other data nor in any reviews that are available to the public.[5]
The school is not making the improvements needed to meet the state requirements, in fact they are labeled as making insufficient progress by the state in their scores in Math and exceeding the standard in English Language Arts. The state set the bar at sixty-three point two for the math on the NECAP's (New England Common Assessment
Program) and the school only achieved a forty-seven point one, in the English language arts department the state set the bar at seventy-five and the school achieved a seventy-nine on the test. The exam was taken by ninety-nine point four percent of the school's junior class which shows that these numbers are highly accurate, especially when one considers that the state only set the bar at ninety-five percent. Although the school is ahead of the bar, as compared to the state average they are far behind. The English language arts score for the state is eighty-five, and the school is even farther behind the state average score in mathematics, which is a sixty-six. despite these dismal numbers the graduation rate of the school is ninety-four point nine percent, with the bar at seventy-nine point two percent.[6] This is a high rate of graduates from the program, especially considering the scores of the exams themselves, but not surprising considering the fact that the school's drop out rate is three percent below the state's drop out rate of sixteen percent .[7] This could perhaps have something to do with the teachers as the atmosphere of the school it's self.
Environment and School Climate
The climate of the school can make or break a school, whether they are having problems academically, which sixty-eight percent of the student reported, if they can find themselves comfortable in the school they are more likely to succeed. While all parents, students, and other concerned members of society would rather not see any crimes or safety risks at all, the Met has relatively low scores. Fifty-one percent reported having personal issues or family issues, seventeen percent reported having been robbed on at least one or more occasions at the school, five percent reported that teasing/harassment was an issue, and ten percent reported that they were offered drugs for sale at the school. The overall school climate score for the school was eighty-one as compared to the state rating of sixty-seven, showing just how safe/comfortable the students are in the school.
The graph shows how the students view the climate of the school, how they feel while at the school. In general the students felt like there was the occasional negative interaction between students, but that the about or these interactions has gone down since 1998 but stayed the same from 2007. The students also believe that the establishment is enforcing the rules with more vigor since '98 and again stayed the same since '07. The teaching techniques, according to the students, has not changed at all since '98 according to the results of this survey. The students overall felt as though they had a decent quality of school life most of the time, according to the graph.[8]
The school offers a special working program for the students to do work in the community or intern in the community for school credits, and sometimes pay. The school approves of the work and it is like a work release program in which they choose any field that they feel that they can gain valuable knowledge and wisdom for doing. This gets the students into the community learning if they want to do certain jobs and getting involved. The community is also rather involved as compared to other schools in Rhode Island.[9]
Conclusion
The Met, while on the breaking edge of new methods and techniques in teaching is still a work in progress. This is not surprising considering the fact that the school is still extremely new in relation to other schools in the area.The school, although far behind in the academics is far ahead of many schools in school climate and safety. The programs may be developing in academics, and they certainly need to do so to meet standards, but they are creating a friendly and supportive environment for students, introducing them into the ways of the professional world through their internships and interests program.
Hampden Meadows School is a fourth and fifth grade school in the Barrington School District. There are nine fourth grade classrooms, ten fifth grade classrooms, and four looping classrooms for the fourth and fifth grade. Children from the three elementary schools in Barrington- Nyatt, Sowams, and Primrose Hill, come together by fourth grade to build friendships as they move forward together into the middle school and high school. Hampden Meadows School is well known for its high achievement rates, high parent involvement, excellent teachers, and small class size.[1] Information gathered from the 2008-2009 SALT survey and Infoworks! is summarized into this report. This would be a perfect source of information for a family looking into moving to the Barrington School District.
Brief Description
Hampden Meadows School is in a predominantly white school district, with 91% of its students being of non-Hispanic, white race. The students mostly come from a nuclear family, with 88% of students stating they live with both parents. The school is viewed in a positive school climate by students, as they report that teachers provide support, the rules and expectations are clear, students are committed, and their interactions with one another are positive.[2] When parents were questioned about how well their child is doing in school, 86% of parents responded that their child is an outstanding or good student. When asked about their child's attitude towards school, 65% claimed their child likes school a lot.[3]
Hampden Meadows School met the standard in 2008 for both state Mathematics and ELA targets. The state's target for Mathematics was an index score of 74.5 and the average for all students was 95.4. The state's target for ELA was an index score of 84.5. The score for all students in ELA was 96.2. The charts above show comparisons between score averages of all students, white students, and students with disabilities. Like stated above, some data is missing because less than 45 students are part of that specific group. The performance is a good representation of consistency with each other and show that most children are on the same level, achieving close to or beyond the standards of the state target.
Hampden Meadows Schools is in a mostly a white, affluent community. Therefore, there is a lot of missing data from the above chart. However, from the chart it can be concluded that a high percentage of the total number of students at Hampden Meadows Schools reach proficiency in both math and reading. Once again, there is missing data, meaning less than 10 students were tested in the group. Even though there is missing data, this is a good indicator of proficiency in the elementary schools.
Connectedness
Connectedness Among Teachers, Professionals, and Administrators
This graph is a representation of self-reports completed by teachers and staff regarding the connectedness among their colleagues and administrators. In Hampden Meadows School, teachers strongly agree that within their grade level, they work well together as a unit, help decide how school policies should change, and also respect each other's ideas and opinions. This data stays close to the data reported by Rhode Island elementary schools, meaning that Hampden Meadows has a relatively good handle on connectedness. When teachers were asked if classroom curricula and topics are integrated across subject areas, data nearly matched the data reported by all Rhode Island elementary schools- that between 40-50% of teachers report at least several times a month the curricula and topics are integrated. The only place where connectedness wavered concerning its closeness to the mean data of Rhode Island elementary schools, is when teachers were asked questions regarding involvement in school-improvement and the overall group spirit among staff. Hampden Meadows School teachers reported that staff are involved in school-improvement planning and decisions about 65% of the time, while teachers in Rhode Island elementary schools report the percentage a bit higher around 70-75% of the time. This could greatly affect how connected teachers feel to other staff and higher administration if they do not have a say in school-improvement. The most startling difference between other elementary schools in the state of Rhode Island and Hampden Meadows School in Barrington is the lack of group spirit among the staff. Although the state data recorded only around 65% group spirit among staff, it is much higher than Hampden Meadow teachers' report of only 45%. This is an important piece of information that needs to be addressed at Hampden Meadows School in order to improve the school's connectedness.
Connectedness between Students and Teachers
Summary:
When observing the reports on connectedness between students and teachers, Hampden Meadows School is exemplary. Almost 80% of students report that teachers take a personal interest in students most of the time or always. This is a very close measure to the 80% from Rhode Island elementary schools that report the same. Hampden Meadows School surpasses the rest of Rhode Island Elementary Schools with 100% of teachers reporting the following positive news: members of their team or grade level interact with children in ways that show interest and respect, and they also use positive approaches to help children behave constructively. Although it is not a great difference compared to the 95% reported by all other Rhode Island Elementary Schools, it shows that these teachers at Hampden Meadows School are connected to their students in these ways all the time.
Connectedness Throughout the School Community as a Whole
Summary:
To find the connectedness throughout the school community as a whole, parents, students and teachers were all asked questions regarding their interactions. By viewing the responses from the parents, it can be concluded that although parents feel that Hampden Meadows School does not view parents as important partners, the school goes above and beyond other Rhode Island Elementary schools by including parents on school committees, as about 70% reported. Eighty percent of students from Hampden Meadows schools say they have a sense of belonging in this school, which only slightly differs from the data collected from different Rhode Island elementary schools. Another key factor that shows Hampden Meadows has more connectedness than the rest of the schools in Rhode Island is shown in yet another report by students. Less than 20% of students reported that students in this school have trouble getting along with each other. This is a very good percentage in comparison to the average of 40% reported by other Rhode Island elementary schools. The final aspect of connectedness through the entire community comes from the reports from teachers. They reported that less than 10% of their students disrupt what other students are doing. When comparing the 10% to the average 30% reported by all Rhode Island elementary schools, it can be concluded that students are more connected here than in other schools. This conclusion is reinforced by the teachers' report that 100% of students in their classes enjoy working together, while only between 85-90% of teachers from all Rhode Island Elementary schools report the same message.
When looking at community support, parent participation is at the same level as Rhode Island Elementary Schools for the year 2007-2008 for the percentage of parents who responded to the SALT survey (~55-60%). Close to 100% of the parents agree that the community supports Hampden Meadows school. Teachers are almost 100% satisfied to the extent to which parents and the community are supportive of the school and its program, in comparison to other Rhode Island elementary school teachers who are around 55% satisfied. Finally, less than 10% of students report they are home alone three or more hours a day, for three or more days a week. This is a good indicator that families are either available for their children, or they are aware of the need for after school care.
Working with Parents
Summary:
Although less than 60% of teachers believe parents should be involved in school governance because it is essential to effective education, parents report a high amount of communication with the school. The school does very well contacting the parents if the child is having a problem, but only contacts parents if their child is doing something well or improves, around 40% of the time. Regardless, Hampden Meadows has a high percentage of reports by parents claiming the school responds to questions and requests within a reasonable time, and also has parent-teacher conferences. Both reports yield a high percentage of over 80%, where all the other elementary schools in Rhode Island do not reach 80%. Hampden Meadows does about the same, if not a little better at asking parents to volunteer at the school, which yields a little bit over 60% response rate.
Teacher Practices and Attitudes
Summary:
Once again, Hampden Meadows does a fine job either staying close with the Rhode Island elementary schools' ratings or surpassing them, when reporting about teacher practices and attitudes. Almost 40% of teachers report that they meet with individual parents on at least a weekly basis, and around 60% of teachers report that at least monthly they use parents as volunteers or other school resources. Teachers at Hampden Meadows School mostly agree strongly that teachers on their grade level keep positive relationships with the parents of students, while 100% of teachers believe that two-way communication between home and school is essential in order to provide effective education.
Conclusion:
All data collected supports the conclusion that Hampden Meadows School is a exemplary school. Not only is it supported by its great staff, as shown in the connectedness and achievement reports, it is also shown in the connectedness reports that parents and the community are another strength of support as well. Students are high-achieving, consistently meeting or exceeding state standards as well as being recorded as highly proficient. With all this being said, Hampden Meadows is an excellent school!
Nayatt School is an elementary school located in Barrington, Rhode Island consisting of grades kindergarten through 3rd grade. This is an outstanding school in many respects from testing reports, meeting and exceeding nearly all standards, and from SALT reports/surveys. According to the 2001 SALT report visit to the school, "Nayatt School is an exceptional learning institution committed to educational excellence and high standards of performance. The staff, teachers, and principal all desire to provide the best quality education. Your collaborative nature
and reflective practices form a strong foundation that will continue to help children grow, learn, and develop."[1]
The purpose of this report is to explore how this school performs above the state average and national standards. The main areas of focus are school performance, teachers and students, and family/demographics gathering data from SALT surveys and testing results.
School Performance
In terms of standardized testing, Nayatt School has consistently preformed very well. In the 2008-09 school year, Grade 3 had 91% of the children at or above proficiency level in math and 95% at or above proficiency in reading. Not only is this nearly 40% more students at proficiency level than the state (61% math, 68% reading) but out of the past 3 years this was their lowest scores. Math and reading scores were lower this year, with the highest being 95% proficiency in math in the year 07-08 and 97% proficiency in reading in the year 06-07.[2] The school as a whole has made Adequate Yearly Progress and is Regents Commended. The 2007-08 performance progress included a mathematics index score of 98 compared to the state average of 82. In reading they also performed above the state also at 98 compared to 86 respectively.[3]
The only complaint with this is that the performance has decreased slightly over the 3 years while the state average has increased steadily over those years. On further analysis of the SALT surveys there seems to be a decrease in many of the important teacher practices such as under the "Practices for Mathematical Reasoning and Skill Enhancement" section the question, "Mathematical concepts and reasoning are integrated into lessons" has decreased from a high of daily (6.7 out of 7) to 5.6 out of 7 or in between weekly and several times a week.[4] In terms of reading and literacy there was a big decrease from students reading from materials other than text books from 7/7 (daily) to 5.2(weekly)[5] . That could be considered a good thing in order to keep the lessons structured or a more negative thing since it decreases the amount students get to broaden their reading abilities. One impressive aspect is the area "students receive instruction in reading skills" was only 0.2 points off of daily in 08-09 and 06-07 and was done daily (7/7) in 07-08.[6] The results of these few areas of the SALT report is only a small portion of insight into possible reasons for such high scores and even for the recent drop. Here is concentrated to only teachers responses but to read more on the report follow the link to the citation and the web page below.
Lastly, as expected Nayatt school met all requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act standards and scored higher than the state and the district of Barrington in both reading and math in the 2007-08 year.[7]
Demographics
Nayatt School is in a very nice area being in a well to do part of the state. The population of school ethnicity is nearly all white with 94% of the student body. Asian, Hispanic or Latino, and multinational make up the rest of the school in very small amounts.[8] The percentage of males and females is 52/48 respectively with some fluctuations per grade level.[9] The percentage of white people at the school is also reflected in the town of Barrington as a whole, so their does not seem to be any special selection of students here. The fact that the school performs so well each year must have to do with the location and the family influences. Typically better off communities with a medium to high standard of living above poverty level perform much better in their schools. This is reflected in our overall report especially in looking at Providence and how the schools are performing poorly that have higher poverty rates and lower incomes. In contrast, Barrington schools perform very highly in regards to the state and also have high median incomes ($84,657 in 1999) and living standards.[10]
Family
According to the 2001 SALT report the main reason for such high performance is parent involvement and the strong foundation that students have coming into the school.[11] A strong base knowledge from parents this seems to be an essential factor in the students performance. According to the Census, 94% of Barrington residents have a high school degree or higher and 53.2% have a bachelors degree or higher.[12] Judging by the amount a typical resident makes one could assume the parents of students have well to do jobs possibly in intellectual areas which provide stimulating real world applications to aspiring students. Just for students going to Nayatt, the percentage of parents with a college degree is an impressive 91%! [13]
Not only are the parents highly educated but they are also involved and care about their child's education; the SALT survey confirms this. The teachers feel that the parents value education with over 50% responding that they seem "very" concerned with students education.[14] Upon looking at the parent SALT reports the parents seem to spend a lot of time on individual learning at home like reading to their child, or practicing spelling before a test. Their seems to be less involvement in terms of actual school functions such as PTO or going to events.[15] Unfortunately, the teacher SALT survey shows that the teachers only meet with parents to "increase involvement" or "discuss progress of their child" quarterly to several times a year. Now this was taken in 2008 where as the SALT report stated the importance of parent involvement back in 2001. It seems the parents have taken a lot more teaching into their own hands but do not meet with the teachers to really know how they are teaching. The fact that the school still performs so well shows that this is not a big problem but it seems the school could use more parent connections to school, not just through their children.
Teachers and Students
The students at Nayatt come in having a very strong base according to the SALT report as stated in the previous section. One of the strong points the reporters noticed was not only the strong base the students have but the "love of reading students exhibit", "the ownership students take for their own learning", and self management skills.[16] The report stressed analyzing and making connections for literacy along with increasing complexity of assignments and tests.[17] It seems as though the increase in work for students has certainly paid off in the incredibly high performance level of students.
Schools would be nothing without teachers and Nayatt has some great teaching staff that is experienced, dedicated, and caring. In 2008 nearly all teachers have taught for over 10 years with a quarter of the teachers having taught more than 25 years.[18] According to the teacher SALT survey the teachers have integration and interdisciplinary instructions and small group exercises weekly. <!--[if gte mso 10]>
Practice for math enhancement occurs slightly more than reading enhancement (both a few times a week), but they have instructions for both daily. The teachers also provide a reasonable amount of cross course instruction which is important for younger students to gain understanding and context. Under the critical thinking section the teachers value most that their students give peer feedback and keep journals, but they lack more writing assignments such as essay test or responding to newspapers.[19] As was stated in the 01 SALT report, Nayatt school needs to improve on their writing and that skill still seems lacking which is due to the fact that it does not seem to be included in teachers lessons according to the data from SALT surveys[20] . Hopefully this area was not left behind in terms of importance because it is not tested for in No Child Left Behind for Elementary. Based on the consistent dedication it seems writing is just one factor that is lacking and undervalued at this school. Overall the teachers are well educated in their areas with many having specialties in either Elementary education and more specifically, it seems, in reading which could attribute to why the school performs better in reading than in math.[21]
Conclusion
Nayatt school is an amazing school with great teachers, parents, and students. Their performance on tests in reading and math are much above the state average and they are making Adequate Yearly Progress as well as meeting the No Child Left Behind standards. There are many reasons for the great learning potential at this school and it first stems from the environment these children live in. Most families provide support, encouragement, and involvement in their student's education and pass along a sense of importance of education which accounts for the children's love of learning. [22] The teachers are highly qualified, experienced, and provide the tools and energy necessary for students to feel safe and thrive. So many factors make up this great school and Nayatt provides a leading example of how to run a great Elementary school.
^ RI Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (n.d.). Nayatt School SALT Report. Retrieved October 31, 2010, from http://www.eride.ri.gov/salt/
^ RI Department of Elementary and Secondary Educatino. (n.d.). Nayatt School SALT Report. Retrieved October 31, 2010, from http://www.eride.ri.gov/salt/
^ RI Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (n.d.). Nayatt School SALT Report. Retrieved October 31, 2010, from http://www.eride.ri.gov/salt/
^ RI Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (n.d.). Nayatt School SALT Report. Retrieved October 31, 2010, from http://www.eride.ri.gov/salt/
^ RI Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (n.d.). Nayatt School SALT Report. Retrieved October 31, 2010, from http://www.eride.ri.gov/salt/
^ RI Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (n.d.). Nayatt School SALT Report. Retrieved October 31, 2010, from http://www.eride.ri.gov/salt/
Barrington High School is a school for grades 9-12, and is located at 220 Lincoln Avenue, Barrington RI. The school performs very well academically, with high proficiency rates in math and English, high SAT scores, and high AP grades and participation. However, while they exceed all No Child Left Behind standards, statistics gathered from teachers suggest that the curriculum may need some improvement, and should have more emphasis on learning than testing. The community is mostly upper class and not very diverse, with a large majority of residents being white. A survey of the students reveals some safety issues, but the student body is still relatively healthy compared to the rest of the state. The school seems to work hard at keeping families and the community involved with the education of their children. I hope that this report will be informative to anyone interested in the educational experience at Barrington High School, be they an educator, parent, or student.
Demographics
Barrington is not a diverse area ethnically nor economically. The town is 96.4% white, 0.7% African American, 1.8% Asian, and 1.1% Latino.[1] The make up of the student body of Barrington High School is similar to the make up of the town: 95.2% White, 3.2% Asian, 0.9% African American, and 0.6% Latino. The current average grade size is approximately 280 students.[2] The community is also very well off economically. The median family income is $84,657, higher than the state median of $71,081 and much higher than the national median of $50,046. The percentage of families below the poverty line is a mere 3%, lower than the state average of 3.4% and the national average of 9.2%.[3][4] This contributes to the success of the students, as they are taken care for and able to focus on school work. In 2000, 11% of children were living in single parent households, compared to 30% state-wide.[5] This also may be a factor in student achievement, as a stable home environment puts less stress on students.
Learning and Achievement
Barrington High School is a very high achieving school, with high proficiency rates, SAT scores, and AP scores and participation. In 2008, 64% of 11th grade students were proficient in math, 91% in reading, and 60% in writing. In 2009, these numbers increased to 71%, 94%, and 76%, respectively. Also, 11% of students were proficient with distinction in math, 58% in reading, and 16% in writing. All of these results are substantially higher than state numbers. In 2009, only 27% of Rhode Island students were proficient in math, 69% in reading, and 41% in writing. 72% of non-poverty students reached proficiency in math, as did 94% in reading. White students yielded almost identical results, as did both male and female students and non-English-language learners. It is noteworthy that there were not enough students of other ethnic backgrounds, migrants, or English-language learners to make a statistic. There are not enough students in poverty to make a statistic. This is especially notable because, for some categories, only 10 students were required to make a statistic. 32% of disabled students tested proficient in math, while 65% reached proficiency in reading. 76% of students without disabilities reached proficiency in math, as did 98% in reading.[6] The index scores of all student types in both math and English language arts exceeded the 2008 state target. The school has a 91.2% graduation rate, far exceeding the state average of 79.2% of students.[7]
SAT scores in all categories are higher than both the state and national average. The average scores in mathematics is 591 (state: 487, national: 510), in reading is 556 (state: 483, national: 497), and in writing is 559 (state: 479, national: 488). 92% of seniors took the SAT, compared to 57% in the state and 39% nationally.[8]
89% of seniors took and AP exam in 2009, the highest percentage of any Rhode Island school. 84% of these students scored at college-level mastery. That's 210 students taking 365 exams, with 306 of those exams being passed at college-level mastery. In Rhode Island as a whole, only 22% of students took an AP exam, and 60% of those students achieved mastery.[9] This combined with their high SAT scores most likely makes Barrington High School students attractive to colleges.
According to the the school's 2008 School Report Card, Barrington High School has excelled above and beyond No Child Left Behind Standards, outperforming both the district and state statistics in English and Mathematics. The school exceeds the target of 95% participation rates for both Math and English Language Arts, with 99.3% participation in Math and 99.7% participation in English Language Arts. This can be compared to the the district's 99.3% participation in English and 99% participation in Math, as well as the state's 97.8% participation in English and 97.6% participation in Math. The school's statistics are even more impressive scoring-wise, with 95.5% of students testing proficient in English and 87.2% proficient in Math. Both of these greatly exceed the target scores of 75% and 63.2% proficiency rates in English and Math respectively. Again, these scores outperform the district's average of 95.3% proficient in English and 87.1% in Math, and greatly exceeds the state's numbers, with 85.2% proficient in English and a mere 66.3% proficient in Math.[10]
Despite their high achievement on tests, weekly activities reported by teachers shows that perhaps there are areas in which the curriculum could be improved. On a weekly basis, 47% of teachers examine students' work to guide instruction, 40% of students receive instruction in writing skills, 47% of instructional material relates to students' interests (though this is according to the teachers. It would be interesting to get the opinion of the student body on this statistic), 24% of students revise their reports and papers, 21% of students provide feedback to one another, and 52% of students are taught problem solving and decision making.[11] It would help to improve the curriculum if the amount of time spent revising and giving feedback was closer to the amount of time spent writing. Feedback and revision helps students to see what areas of their writing need improvement and what they can do to improve those areas. This is an important skill for these students to develop, as it will help them to better communicate their ideas in various situations they may encounter in their lives. Also, encouraging students to give each other feedback will encourage them to think more critically of their own writing.
Safe and Supportive Environment/Health
A look into student reports about safety reveal some surprising results. The high achieving Barrington High School may not be quite as safe as one might imagine. In a student survey, 68% of students reported that they feel they can talk to a teacher/staff member about academic issues most of the time, and 16% said they feel they can talk to them about personal or family problems all or most of the time. 12% of students reported that not getting along with teachers is a moderate to very big hassle, 23% report being robbed at least once in school, 8% state being teased or bothered by other students is a moderate to very big hassle, and 22% claim that someone in school has tried to sell them drugs at least once. That's over one in five students reporting having been robbed or offered drugs at least once.[12]
Regardless of the safety issues, the students at Barrington High School seem to be relatively healthy. Statistics involving drug/alcohol use, daily sleep, and weight problems are all close to or below state statistics. About 18% of students say they have smoked at least one day, compared to 22% statewide. Alcohol use is about half as much as in the state of Rhode Island as a whole, with only a little over 20% of Barrington students reporting having drank alcohol at least once. Statistics for sleep are identical to the state average, with almost 70% of students getting 7 hours or less of sleep each night (though this is still an important issue as it greatly affects focus, performance, and health). They eat breakfast more often than the average Rhode Island student, with only a little over 30% of students saying that they only eat breakfast two days or fewer in a week, while 50% do in the state. Only 6% of students have no regular doctor or nurse, compared to 12% of all Rhode Island high school students.[13]
Engaging Familes and Community
Based on reports from teachers and parents alike, Barrington High School appears to be focused on keeping families and the community involved in the education of their children. Almost 100% of parents agree that the community supports this school, compared to about 90% statewide. More than 80% of teachers say they are satisfied with the extent to which parents and the community are supportive of the school and its program, a significantly higher number than the statewide percentage of less than 30%. Less than 30% of students report being home unsupervised form 3 or more hours a day or 3 or more days a week, compared to slightly over 30% statewide. 50% of teacher agree that parental involvement in school governance is essential to effective education. Statewide statistics are about the same. 20% of parents report that the school does a good job contacting them if their child does something well/improves, 40% report being contacted if their child is having a problem, almost 70% say the school responds to their concerns and requests within a reasonable time, over 20% have parent-teacher conferences, and 40% are asked to volunteer at the school, compared to statewide statistics of 30%, 50%, 50%, almost 60%, and 30%. Almost 90% of teachers agree that other teachers on their team or grade level maintain positive relationships with students' parents, compared to less than 80% statewide. Almost 100% agree that two-way communication between home and school is essential to effective education, compare to 85% statewide.[14]
Conclusion
Barrington High School performs incredibly well all forms of standardized testing and AP exams, and greatly exceeds No Child Left Behind Standards. Despite a few concerning statistics, the school still seems to create a relatively safe learning environment. The school also does an excellent job keeping families and the community involved, according to parents and teachers alike. Still, in such a homogeneous, upper-class society, it's much easier for children to excel, as a lack of challenges/issues at home allows students to better focus on their school work.
Despite the school's glowing achievement, the data still leaves some questions unanswered: Is the curriculum focused on testing or learning? It's easy for students to do well on standardized testing when what they're being taught is centered around those tests, but that doesn't mean they're learning the skills they need for college (and ultimately their future careers/life). This is possibly the most important question an educator can ask. After all, what is the function of education but to help children expand the realm of their knowledge and prepare them for their futures? It would have been interesting to have some insight from the student body on whether or not they think what they are learning is relevant. Also, what about the student groups (different races, children in poverty, etc) of which there were too few students for a statistic to be formed? How different are their test scores from the norm? Do they struggle any more than the average student? It would be interesting to know what unique challenges these students face, as it could help the school better lead them towards success.
Regardless of these unanswered questions, Barrington High School appears to be an excellent school with a safe and supportive community, working together to push students to succeed.
District: Providence central school district
Author: Kyle Weinreich
Introduction
Times2 Academy is a unique example of a charter school within the state of Rhode Island. It is a K-12 math and science focused charter school. Designed to cater to the needs of the disadvantaged community within Providence. The question that this page will attempt inform the general public whether or not a charter school is a better method of educating minorities and students who are in poverty and if so, are the practices they use applicable to a wider school environment?
Assessment and Accountability
As we all know standardized tests are one of the most concrete and easy to understand measures student performance and institutional success. These tests give us concrete numbers and help us make data-driven decisions that are supported by clear numeric values. The following section analyzes these numeric values and the other factors that help to produce the results we are seeing so we can better understand whether or not the school is successful.
The figure above is an information works data set representing assessment results within grade 11 of Times2 Academy[1]The figure below are the results for the district of Providence for students of the same age group[2]
The two preceding figures seem to demonstrate that Times2 Academy is only marginally better and in some situations less effective at teaching mathematics then other schools in Providence based on the NECAP standardized tests. As is demonstrated by the fact that within the district of Providence 10 and 14% of 11th graders for the years 2007 2008 and 2008 2009 are proficient in mathematics[3] compared to 9% and 16% of 11th graders in 2007 2008 and 2008 2009 at Times2 Academy[4] . These results are only marginally better. This dose not suggest that the school is successful in its goal of being a math and science-based charter school. What is interesting is that the results for the disciplines that the school dose not stress in its mission statement are much higher than those of the district of Providence as a whole. With over 80% of Times2 Academy students scoring proficient in reading in 2007 2008[5] compared to 48% students within the district of Providence scoring proficient in 2007 and 2008[6] . This data seems to be compounded by the differences in results on other standardized tests scores as reported by the SAT is in mathematics section Times2 Academy's students averages on the math section were 403[7] compared to the district average of 396[8] . This seems to support the data that Times2 Academy scores higher than the district of Providence overall in mathematics but not overwhelmingly so. However, their results within reading and writing were 410 and 441, respectively[9] these results are great deal higher than the district of Providence scoring 405 and 400 respectively on reading and writing on the SAT[10] . This is the difference of between five and 41 points in reading and writing respectively supporting the data presented in the New England Common Assessment Programs test results. The SAT results suggest that Times2 Academy is doing slightly better in math than do the results of the New England Common Assessment Program.
Figure 3 shows data drawn from information works for Times2 Academy[11]
Times2 Academy does not appear to be overwhelmingly successful academically, specifically in the areas it was created to serve but the results of its testing results must be looked at to the lens of student demographics. When the data is looked at in that way we see that the school faces immense challenges and thus it's results are more surprising than they would otherwise be. This data is both startling helps explain the mediocre results on standardized tests and further explain why this school may in fact be successful its mission because it is overcoming such dramatic difficulties, specifically economic difficulties. With nearly 75% of all students eligible to receive free or reduced lunch[12] . This shows a vast majority of the students are economically disadvantaged, and thus the fact that they are scoring even remotely close to proficient in any standardized tests suggest to me that the teachers of Times2 Academy are doing a great job of reaching a group of students who is distinctly disadvantaged and generally written off as lost causes. In addition to this difficulty, 85% of the students at the school are black or Hispanic[13] . These are two groups that were targeted by No Child left Behind as groups who are being left behind. This is also in reference to the achievement gap that is been seen for decades that this school seems to be successfully closing.
This figure shows drawn from information works shows that in spite of its scores only slightly exceeding the district of Providence overall the school has met all 17 of its targets and therefore is making adequate yearly progress[14]
What surprises me is that the school could be making adequate yearly progress with only18% of its students reaching proficiency in math and it's not only making adequate yearly progress is meeting all 17 targets that it was evaluated for[15] . although adequate yearly progress is based on the idea of continuing school improvement towards the goal of 100% such small gains with regards to math of only 9%, suggest that the school is a very long way to go with regards to math instruction. But the reason they may be making adequate yearly progress is because they started out with an initial number of 9% and doubled it 18. If you ignore the percentages and simply look at number of students meeting proficiency the school doubled the number of students within the school who are proficient in mathematics which may be the primary reason why they meet AYP.
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School Environment
Figure 4 shows a data table drawn from information works data based on SALT reports and suspension rates[16]Based on the data office table certain facts about the student environment intends to Academy can be derived. First and foremost that there is a limited number of incidents that result in suspension within the school. The suspension rate per 100 students is 7.1 compared to 52.9 in Rhode Island high schools overall[17] . This is such a drastic difference is that I believe is a direct result of the unique environment within the school. In smaller schools specifically those where students have a more direct relationship to their teachers which Times2 Academy seems to exemplify students are less likely to miss behave and when they do, they're more likely to be held accountable for it, and therefore not become repeat offenders. This compared to other schools around the state. With the overall average rate of suspension per 100 students is 52.9[18] . This is overwhelmingly high and must detract from student performance, school climate, and an overall sense of community within a school.In addition to the suspension data which in itself is startling. The graduation rate for students of Times2 Academy is 100%. Compared to 63% within the district of Providence[19] . This is an overwhelmingly high number and it is all within four years. Which suggest that there is a program or programs with regards to graduation that the country as a whole and Rhode Island. In particular, could benefit from.Both of these conclusions are supported by the data coming from student involvement and teacher interactions shown in the figure below. as is demonstrated in the figure belowThis figure shows a series of graphs showing and student responses with regards to teacher connectedness within the school[20]The figure clearly shows that teachers are taking a personal interest in students above and beyond that of the Rhode Island average. With over 40% of students saying that always or most of the time, Teachers take a personal interest in students as compared to just over 25% for the rest of the state of Rhode Island[21] . This is yet another positive factor, resulting in a stronger sense of community, and as a result I believe higher student achievement within that demographic groups and within their district overall. The second half of the table shows presented. Teachers who believe that they interact with children in ways that show interest and respect. Which seems to be an equal level reporting for both the state and the school, in particular but the discrepancy in the results suggest that the teachers at Times2 Academy are much more successful in this department than other teachers across the state.in addition to teacher relations with students, and suspension rates illicit substances and other unhealthy behaviors are almost unknown factor within the school with a smaller percentage of students taking part in these unhealthy behaviors then for the rest of the state of Rhode Island.as demonstrated by the figure below
this figure shows rates of destructive behaviors of students of Times2 Academy and the average for students in the state of Rhode Island[22]this graph clearly shows a wide gap in a distinct difference between students of T2 and the students of high schools across the state of Rhode Island. Within Times2 Academy there appears to be a culture of drug prevention/education because so many students choose not to do behaviors that are widely accepted by their peers as demonstrated by the fact that less than 20% said that their friends would approve of/not care if they smoked marijuana regularly as compared tomore than 40% for the rest of the state. This suggests that there is a culture that understands the risks and dangers associated with illicit drugs and other dangerous behaviors within the school thus leading me to draw the conclusion that the school is a safer environment then other schools across the state.
Teacher Practices
In addition to the results for teacher involvement. There is also the unique practices that many of these teachers use in their classroom environments which positively affect both the accountability scores and school climate, overall. it is the teacher practices that have the greatest impact on individual students. One good teacher can drastically change the direction in which a student is having an the practices that these teachers use our major factor in the success and resulting direction change for the students. Important qualities in this section will be the results for critical thinking practices, preferred methods of instruction, and typical classroom methods sections of salt reports.
This figure shows practices relating to critical thinking and teacher instruction methods[23]while the value of critical thinking cannot be understated. It is often very difficult to analyze its direct outcome on any single type of test. However, its overall benefit specifically when students reach college age or attempt to pursue all levels of higher education is crucial because the demand students are so different in these arenas. They need to learn to think differently and challenge the processes which critical thinking will help them with.also, this style of instruction results in increased community closeness and support because students learn how each other, work and learn how best to support each other and the different learning styles that each this benefit also expands to teachers who implement such practices.and withinTimes2 Academy teachers overwhelmingly agree that critical thinking is an essential quality towards educating students of their grade level[24] .because of the scale of 1 to 5, five being strongly agree zero being do not agree at all. The teachers of Times2 Academy average out to a 4.6 on the importance of critical thinking and citizenship has important qualities to teach[25] . This shows that these teachers are not just implementing critical thinking reforms they believe in them and therefore putting that much more energy into these practices that in the long-term do, immensely benefit their students.
this figure shows results from salt reports Times2 Academy[26]the above figure shows the traditional practices overall are less frequently practice then practices designed to improve comprehension of specific academic areas. For example, mathematical reasoning and enhancement across the curriculum received a 4.7 suggesting that it is practiced on a almost weekly basis within the school[27] as compared to traditional practices which, for the same year received only a 3.7; This suggests that these practices are far less important to the curriculum at Times2 Academy and this may account for some of their surprising results. As featured above in accountability and assessment.
Conclusion
while the data from Times2 Academy may be confusing at first glance, many of the numbers do not seem to make sense with the other results that the school has posted. This does not change the simple fact that the school has implemented innovative teaching practices, is working with a diverse group of students, who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, and is consistently making adequate yearly progress as defined by the NECAP's standardized tests. Also, just because the school does not demonstrate proficiency on a standardized test. It by no way means that the school is not adequately teaching mathematics, science, or any other concept to its students. they simply may not be used to taking tests in this manner. Which may be results of the critical thinking practices stressed within the school that lead students to think outside of the bubble or box as it may be. Thus, the very practices that are so spouse within the school seem to be detrimental to their standardized testing results. I believe that the practices and qualities that critical thinking brings out within students are far more important and in the long run more beneficial to the students and by extent the community, then, is a higher NECAP score. Especially when the school is already making adequate yearly progress by doubling the number of students who are proficient in mathematics over the past year. thus, I believe that the school is a good choice for students and parents alike. As a charter school. It does require applications so I would recommend that anyone interested in applying (applications are only accepted from students within the Providence area) do so because the opportunities that the school seems to offer far exceed the average expectations of schools within the Providence district.
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A Final Important Note
Times2 Academy is a K-12 institution that is extremely small with 648 students and only 43 teachers distributed over 12 grades[28] , class sizes within this building are very small this can easily results in extremely skewed data which we have already seen. Large fluctuations within standardized test results are possible when all it takes is one student to change the average. This compared to other large schools across the state where thousands of students are taking the same test individual students become less important. thus we see drastic changes in results from year to year and a much larger school, we can assume it is the failure of teachers to impart the knowledge. However, when we see the same fluctuations in the school with only 50 or so students taking the test of fluctuation can result from the student not getting enough sleep the previous night, or a single student not taking the test seriously.
544 Elmwood Avenue
Providence, RI 02907-1820
(401) 456-1706
Kenneth C. Perry, Principal
Introduction
Feinstein High School is a small public school located in the Elmwood section of the city of Providence, Rhode Island. Feinstein is has students grades 9-12. Shortly after it was founded, Feinstein was closed and then reopened with site-based management. It was broken down into four "schools" with 90 students each to provide a revolutionary teaching and learning environment. This report contains both statistical facts and observational analyses of different aspects of the school including standardized test scores, demographics, student safety and satisfaction, and accountability. The purpose of this report is to give a concise overview of the school for parents, educators, and students alike. "Feinstein works to realize its vision of developing an interdisciplinary project-based academic program."
Academic Performance
At Feinstein, the teachers and students are broken up into teams to harbor collaboration and ingenuity. They run on block scheduling, allowing more time in each class every other day. According to the most recent SALT report (January 12, 2007), projects are the most prevalent type of schoolwork. There are no tests, and no immediate grades for in-class assignments or homework. Book talks replace book reports. Some of the students are still adjusting to the nontraditional teaching style at FHS. The faculty works hard to engage students in the community by creating partnerships based on the guidelines of the Providence One Plan. The teachers give the students complex problems for long term projects with flexible deadlines. The students do not know how to tackle a problem that is not a direct question, thus giving up and waiting for face-to-face assistance with the teacher. Although this curriculum induces creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, the students will not learn the importance of deadlines or problem solving methods if the "let's wait for the teacher" mentality remains. To quote the evaluation "[Feinstein students] are typically open-minded, interested, and curious. However, they generally lack the self awareness, needed motivation, persistence, and confidence to communicate their thinking, reflect on their work, and evaluate their progress. These students do not successfully meet small deadlines, and they wait until the last moment to complete their projects." ([1] )
Figure 1. Assessment Results
The NECAP test results show that 95% of the students in 11th grade tested well below the proficiency level in math and the majority (74%) are below satisfactory in writing as well. [2] Only 43% of teachers at Feinstein report that at least weekly, students receive instruction in writing.[3] The reading scores of these students show that almost half are above the proficiency line, with four percent of those students being proficient with distinction. Feinstein students scored extremely low on the SAT in all subjects with 348, 346, and 353 points in math, reading, and writing, respectively; well below both the state and national averages as seen in Figure 1 above.[4] Compared to other Rhode Island high schools, Feinstein is below them in all aspects of academic performance. According to No Child Left Behind, FHS has not made Adequate Yearly Progress for the 2007-2008 school year, and is classified as having made "insufficient progress" from the most recent previous evaluation.[5] The performance progress of the school is not up to par; mathematics index scores are far below other Rhode Island schools, and writing index scores do not meet the standard either.[6]
Demographics and Graduation Rates
Figure 2. Graduation and Dropout Statistics
The majority of the 367 students are Hispanic (59%), followed by African Americans (22%), with 12% being Caucasian and 7% Asian Pacific Islander or American Indian/Alaskan Native.[7] There is plenty of staff with a 17:1 student-teacher ratio.[8] As seen in the chart above, of these 367 students, Feinstein consistently graduates only 56% of them, one of the lowest graduation rates for a school of that size, but in the top 15 of all schools in Rhode Island. Each year, some 13-27% of students drop out; the number fluctuates from year to year.[9]
Demographics and Academic Performance
Figure 3. Performance by Characteristic
In all cases of different demographic indicators, math scores on the NECAP are alarmingly low; none of the African Americans, Asians, females, or students with disabilities even reach proficiency.[10] No information was given for the Native American, white, or migrant students because there are not enough of them to provide a solid sample. Poverty does not seem to measurably affect either math or reading scores; there is no achievement gap between these two groups. Although reading scores are unacceptably far beneath state standards and not even half of the student body reaches proficiency, as a whole, they are the "strong point of Feinstein High School. [11] The school is currently coming up with ideas to incorporate math into their curriculum of projects to raise their testing scores.
Safety, Satisfaction
Figure 4. Student Survey on Safety and Satisfaction
More than one-third of the student population experiences academic issues most of the time. Getting along with teachers is also an issue that 9% of Feinstein students experience. Nearly 15% are experiencing personal or family problems. These numbers are not the highest in the state, but not the lowest either. The school location in Providence is probably a factor in the student's responses; drug dealing and robberies are somewhat common in most major cities. 19% of Feinstein students say they've been robbed one or more times in school while 14% say someone tried to sell them drugs in school once or more. Of all 367 students, 9% say that being bullied or harassed by other students is an obtrusion at school. Each of these numbers is lower than the Rhode Island state average. ([12] )
Figure 5. Teacher Responses on School Connectedness
Summary: Teachers at Feinstein feel that they are included, treated with respect, and are an important part of decision-making and curriculum establishment. At Feinstein, the percentage of teachers who say those things is much higher than the state average In particular, 80% of FHS teachers feel that they help to make school policy decisions versus only 40% of teachers throughout the rest of the state. They also feel that they maintain a good spirit amongst each other. Most teachers say that they interact with students in a way that shows both interest and respect, and that they use positive approaches to help the student behave constructively. Teachers also believe that students in their classes enjoy working together. 38% of students say that their teachers do take a personal interest in them and their academic success, and 25% say that they often get help and advising from teachers. ([13] )
Conclusion
Feinstein High School is a revolutionary institution with the capacity to change both learning and teaching techniques. Teachers should encourage students to not only reach standards, but to exceed them. The students are in a free environment such that they are able to explore, question, and communicate with each other, teachers, and member of the community with whom they are working. Since FHS does not require any type of testing, it comes as no surprise that the NECAP and SAT test scores are so low across the board and that student at the school are not meeting state standards. The students will be able to come up with creative solutions to problems with which they are faced; at some point they will not be such a low-rated school simply because they run a different program with a different - yet still effective - teaching style. As the teachers and students learn to understand and help each other, the school will begin to show significant improvements in the abilities of its students.
Classical High School
District: Providence School District
Author: Jason Allard
Introduction
Classical High School, founded in 1843, is a public exam school in the Providence School District, in Providence RI. It was originally an all-male school, but has since become co-ed. Its motto is a translation of the famous translated Latin phrase, "To Strive, to Seek, to Find, and Not to Yield". It has been rated "High Performing and Sustaining" by its performance in 2005 on the New Standards Reference Exam, placing it third highest in the state. Classical High School stands roughly at the intersection of the Federal Hill, West End, and Upper South Providence neighborhoods.Classical High School is a magnet school, which is a public school offering a specialized curriculum, often with high academic standards, to a student body representing a cross section of the community. According to data from 2009, there are 1045 kids enrolled in grades 9-12. There are 69 teachers, which equates to a student to teacher ratio of 15:1. Of the freshman who were enrolled from 2004-2005, 93.8% graduated in 2008 (Info Source). This number is significantly higher than the state average of 74% in 2008. The purpose of this report is to analyze three main factors that play a role in Classical High School's performance. The three that will be covered are the following: Accountability (student achievement), students' point of view, and health behaviors.
Classical High School Location:
FIG. 2
Classical High School is proficient in both mathematics and English language arts based on the Rhode Island state target. The Rhode Island state target for mathematics was an estimated score of 62 and the average for all students was 79.6. The Rhode Island state target for English language arts was an estimated score of 75. The score for all students in English language arts was 21.3 points higher than the state target at an average score of 96.3. The above Fig. 1 shows a comparison between score averages of all students, Hispanic students, and economically discouraged students. Each of the statistics required a minimum 45 students in each group, so some demographics may not be represented. The performance of each of the groups represented are consistent with each other and show that cultural and economic backgrounds do not play a factor in this school's performance.
In addition to the greatly exceeding each of the state targets, Classical High School also boasts a huge participation rate. According to data from the InfoWorks website, 100% of the students enrolled at Classical High School who were eligible to take the exams participated, as can be seen in Fig. 2. It can be said that with regards to testing and state standards, Classical is maintaining consistent positive results both in Mathematics and English Language Arts. The demographics that were not included (African American, Asian, Native American, students with disabilities) may have fully participated, but did not meet the requirement of 45 participants in order for their results to be published in the report. Of the 19 targets evaluated for Classical High School, 19 were met. This reinforces the notion that Classical is a high performing high school.
Performance progress from the past 5 years has shown a consistent trend between Rhode Island test scores and the scores of Classical High School. Mathematics test scores show a correlation in the slight decline that has occurred. Despite this, Classical's mathematics scores are still 12-15 points higher than the state average over the 5 years. In English and Language Arts, the state and Classical High School have shown consistency, although the scores for Classical are repeatedly 10 points above the state average. Simply put, the students at Classical are high achieving and show no signs of declining.
Students attending Classical High School reported a relatively low percent of negative emotions compared to other Rhode Island High Schools. Of the students, 45% felt that they could talk to a teacher about academic issues and 10% felt comfortable enough to talk about personal or family problems.Of the students, 1 out of 5 reported not getting along with teachers and roughly 1 out of 4 reported drug use being pressured upon them. Less than 1 out of 10 students felt that bullying was a problem, however. Contrasting with this statistic, almost 1 out of 3 students reported that they have been robbed. To summarize, violence is not a major factor in Classical High School, but drug use and robbery seem to be a bigger problem. As an inner city school with a low amount of income, the students' actions may be reflective of their socioeconomic standing. The children need money so they resort to stealing or selling drugs. They rarely resort to violence, though. Based on the students' reactions to their environment, Classical High School needs to take further precautions into how students protect their belongings. Solutions to these problems may be to ensure working lockers, have a hallway patrol system, or to education students on ways they could handle their belongings more responsibly.
Conclusion
Overrall, Classical High School is a high performing school located in inner city Providence. While taking into account demographics as well as factors such as accountability, student's point of view, and health statistics, it is astounding to see the progress such a school has made. The fact that it is a magnet school reinforces the idea that the students at Classical are there because they want to learn. Compared to schools in the surrounding area it can be seen that Classical is a special school in that it is able to educate children in a supportive environment despite the generally poor communities surrounding it. More information on these surrounding schools can be located in the related context reports and can provide a more in depth comparison.
Gilbert Stuart Middle School
188 Princeton AvenueProvidence, RI, 02907
District: Providence
Author: Kayla Belanger
Introduction
(The siting is being ridiculous... help?) i have that problem too, try manually deleting spaces and numbers at the bottom of the page... also, are you going to include charts/tables?Gilbert Middle School is a middle school containing grades six, seven, and eight. It is located within the Providence School District in the zip code of 02907. This area of Providence is in the southwestern region of Providence. The student eligibility for subsidized lunch in this middle school is 95% in comparison to a state wide percent of 43%. Also, in this middle school 16% of students are involved in ESL or bilingual education services compared to a state wide percent of 5%. 873 students attend this school with a teacher-student ratio of 1:12 which can be compared to a state wide ratio of 1:11. [1] This area of Providence is one of the poorer and less educated regions of Providence which reflects into the information that has been gathered from this middle school.
Proficiency
First of all, Gilbert Stuart Middle School has a lot of diversity. In this school there are 44 different cultures represented out of the 873 students attending the school. 59% of the students are Hispanic, 23% are African American, 9.7% are Asian, 7.3% are White, and .8% are Native American. [2] Looking at the statistics of students by characteristics (8th grade) in 2008-09, we can see that there is not a great deal of fluctuation between different types of students. For example, the percentage of students proficient in math is exactly the same between students in poverty and students not in poverty. Reading proficiency percentages are about the same as well at 32% and 26% respectively. In this case, it is surprising to see that a bigger percentage of student in poverty are proficient in reading. Another comparison is between races of students. Between African American and Hispanic students, the statistics were very similar with 12% and 15% proficiency in math and 33% and 29% proficiency in reading (both respectively). The one that stands out, though, is the Asian population of students in eighth grade. Proficiency percentages in both math and reading were higher than the other two groups of students. The Percentage of proficient students in math is 42%, which is significantly higher, and the percentage of proficient students in reading is 29%. A final comparison is between male and female students. In both math and reading, the female student population had a higher percentage of proficient students. For the male student body, 13% of students were proficient in math and 20% were proficient in reading. For the female student body, 20% of students were proficient in math and 42% were proficient in reading. [3] In Gilbert Stuart Middle School, there exists a positive environment for students and learning. Students are eager to learn with goals of doing well in school and dedicated teachers embrace professional development, and encourage positive change. Good paragraphTesting
Testing in this middle school unfortunately produces very poor results. According to the NECAP exam in the school year of 2009-10, Gilbert Stuart Middle School is shown to be much lower than the state averages. In the sixth grade assessment of math, only 3% of students were proficient with distinction compared to 19% of the state, 18% were proficient compared to 40% of the state, and 56% were substantially below proficiency compared to 23% of the state. In the sixth grade assessment of reading, 2% of students were proficient with distinction compared to 15% of the state, 37% were proficient compared to 53% of the state, and 25% were substantially below proficiency compared to 11% of the state.Student Surveys
There is more to a school than just looking at test scores, though. From various surveys taken by the students of Gilbert Stuart Middle School, some facts about the comfort level students feel during school were revealed. For example, 17% of students attending this Providence middle have said that they are not getting along with their teachers. This seems like a very low percentage until it is compared to the percentages of many other schools in Rhode Island. In Barrington Middle School, for example, only 8% of students claim to not get along with their teachers. When asked if someone has every tried to sell them drugs, 9% of student said they have experienced this. This statistic is also higher than that of Barrington who’s percentage was 6%. In Gilbert Stuart Middle School, 32% of students confessed to being robbed at school at least once. And, again, this was higher than the percentage in Barrington which was 23%. The next percentages that are presented are interesting. 14% of students in Gilbert Stuart Middle School claim to have family problems most of the time and 19% of students claim this in Barrington. Also, 22% of student in Gilbert Stuart Middle School say they are academic problems most of the time whereas 57% of students from Barrington say the same.SALT Visit Team Report
February 27, 2004In addition to the supporting facts previously examined for Gilbert Stuart Middle School, The SALT Visit Team Report for 2004 states that Gilbert Stuart Middle School is “categorized as low performing” and “in need of improvement making insufficient progress.” Recognized in the SALT report is the difficulty of learning due to the fact that, to many parents, English is a second language. It was expressed that writing in Gilbert Stuart Middle School is the most focused on subject toward improvement. Students write in every class and in many different ways including journal entries, reports, portfolios, and more. Although the students’ writing level is significantly low, the focus on extensive writing is making a step toward drastic improvement in this subject. On the other hand, students’ knowledge in math is poor. Students have trouble with problem solving and were observed to become frustrated easily with math problems. Not many teachers are able to effectively guide students through problem solving solutions. Teachers express their need for help in effective methods of instruction in mathematics and hope to soon receive guidance. As a whole, most students hold a desire to succeed in school. Most all students have goals of going to college and getting a job after high school. Most students are proud of their achievements in school and are admired by their peers for them.
Conclusion
As a conclusion for Gilbert Stuart Middle School, the performance overall is substantially lower than what it should be compared to other schools in Rode Island, but also seems to be making progress. While test scores show how inefficient the school is, the SALT Visit Team Report shows the potential that the school has. This is why schools cannot solely be evaluated on test scores. From other sources, we are able to see that the students are eager to improve as well as the teachers. There is a positive atmosphere for the students and with time, should only improve. Once the school learns how to overcome its biggest drawbacks, this school will be a lot more successful. try to add some specific details about your research to help tie it upMargaret M. Della Bitta, “Schools Listing,” November 7, 2010, http://www.eride.ri.gov/salt/.
New England Common Assessment Program, “Information Works! 2009 : School Reports,” Learning and Achievement, November 7, 2010, http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindSch.asp.
“28144M-achi.pdf,” http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/pdf/achievement/28144M-achi.pdf.
New England Common Assessment Program, “Information Works! 2009 : School Reports,” Learning and Achievement, November 7, 2010, http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindSch.asp.
“pov-middle.pdf,” http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/state/pov-middle.pdf.
New England Common Assessment Program, “Information Works! 2009 : School Reports,” Learning and Achievement, November 7, 2010, http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindSch.asp.
“Gilbert Stuart Middle School Final Report.pdf,” http://www.eride.ri.gov/dataDump/28/2003-04/20040427095224/Gilbert%20Stuart%20Middle%20School%20Final%20Report.pdf.
Margaret M. Della Bitta, “Schools Listing,” November 7, 2010, http://www.eride.ri.gov/salt/.
Hope Arts High School
District: Providence, Rhode Island
Author: Chloe Blau
Introduction
One of the best attributes to living in a major city is having a diverse sense of the arts within the culture. Within the city of Providence, the arts are not only a part of the culture, they are also a part of the educational system. Hope Arts School, which is located in the heart of Providence, is a public high school with currently 600 students enrolled. Because it is a high school, the students range from grades 9-12. Hope Arts is a branch of the larger high school, Hope High School. This report's audience is any individual looking for information on the schools within the Providence school district, specifically Hope Arts High School. For this report, I will be using the following indicators: Demographics, Assessments, Accountability, Teaching Practices, Health, and the Students' Point of View on their own school.Demographics:
Providence, Rhode Island is a very diverse city, and this shows in their various demographics. When it comes to ethnicity, 51.7% of Hope Arts students are Hispanic, 29.8% are African-American, 11.1% of students are Caucasian, 6.3% are Asian, and the remaining 1.1% of students are Native American.[1]
The majority of students at Hope Arts, 53.7%, are female and the remaining 46.3% are obviously male.[2] Considering that the area surrounding the school is somewhat poor, 87.2% of the student body receives free and/or reduced priced lunches, and only 12.8% pay the full price.[3] When it comes to students needed special education services, there are only 21.3% of students who need this kind of attention, a relatively good number.[4] The students of Hope Arts High School come from very diverse backgrounds and it's quite evident in their demographics and special needs.
Assessments:
A important part of a school's standing and their overall reputation is their ability to perform on standardized testing. Hope Arts High school as a whole could use improvement on its assessments. When it comes to Grade 11 state-wide testing, only 10% of students of the students are proficient in mathematics, 64% proficient with/without distinction in reading, and 25% proficient with/without distinction in writing.[5] In all subjects of the SAT's, Mathematics, Reading, and Writing, Hope Arts is over 100 points below the state average, but a good percentage of the students do take the exam.[6] On the mathematics section of the exam, the school average is a 346, where the state average is a 487. On the reading portion, the student average is a 373, compared to the state average of a 483. On the writing section of the SAT's, Hope Arts average was a score of a 353, which is put against the Rhode Island state average in writing of a 479.[7] Although the scores of Hope Arts students are somewhat low, 48% of the students took the exam, compared to the state average of SAT's takers, which is 57%.[8] 48% is a relatively good number when pinned against the state average. Overall, Hope Arts high school should use this information that is available to them to try and improve their scores for following years.
A lot of the students' ability to perform on these tests has to do with their characteristics. For instance, only 10% of poverty-stricken students were on their way to reaching proficiency in mathematics, and 64% were on their way in reading.[9] No one information was collected for non-impoverished students, which indicates that less than 10 students participated. When it comes to ethnicity, 0% of African-American students were reaching proficiency in math, and 67% were reaching it in reading.[10] 12% of Hispanic students were reaching proficiency in mathematics, and 59% of those students were reaching it in reading.[11] Another influence on the student's performance may be their gender. Males at Hope Arts had 10% reaching proficiency in math and 68% reaching proficiency in reading.[12] Females at Hope Arts, very close to the males, had 11% reaching proficiency in math and 62% reaching proficiency in reading.[13] One of the biggest, if not the most influential, characteristics would be the ability to speak English and having a disability. Only 9% of students with disabilities were reaching proficiency in math, and 45% were reaching in reading.[14] On the other hand, 11% of students without a disability were reaching proficient in math, and 68% were reaching in reading.[15] When it comes to language barriers, 10% of Non-English language learners were proficient or reaching proficiency in math and 65% of those students were proficient or reaching proficiency in reading.[16] Overall, the different characteristics of students has a huge impact on their school and testing performance.
Accountability:
A huge part of a school's overall being is the job it does to meet and exceed certain standards. Every school has a target for various things that they'd like to accomplish, such as particular score levels, participation rates and graduation rates. Certain targets and standards are set for a school, and that school gets credit for meeting/exceeding their target. When it comes to state testing at Hope Arts, their Mathematics target is 63.2% and their English-Language Arts target is 75%.[17] Overall, the students didn't meet their target, scoring 47.2% on math and 71.9% on ELA.[18] The Asian student population only have scores for their ELA test, and scored 67.0%[19] . Also, the economically disadvantaged students scored a 48.7% on mathematics, and 73.4% on ELA.[20] No other information is represented on the charts.
Although the scores were not close enough to the targets, the participation rates and graduation rates were very good. The only scores to exceed their targets were the participation rates. For both Mathematics and ELA, the target is 95%, and both exceeded and hit 97.7%, which is great.[21] As for graduation rate, the state rate of graduation is 79.2% of students, and Hope Arts came close at 76.5% of students graduating.[22] Overall, Hope Arts is either meeting or working their way towards meeting and exceeding their state standards.
Teaching Practices:
One of the most imperative things to look for in a school is the student-teacher interaction, and how that interaction impacts the student performance. In Hope Arts, it seems that the students have a mixed level of interaction with their teachers, and this not only impact their performance, but it encourages them to be more involved and help their fellow classmates. For example, only 23% of teachers say that they examine their students' work to guide instruction.[23] Although this percentage could be improved, 75% of Hope students receive teacher instruction in writing skills.[24] 59% of students say that the material they are instructed relates to their interests.[25] Considering that most students are not enthusiastic about going to school in general, this seems to be a pretty good percentage. On the other hand, only 36% of students revise their papers, which is something that all students should be doing in order to learn new skills and improve their writing abilities.[26] When it comes to student on student interaction, 27% of students say that they provide helpful feedback to their classmates, which is a good thing no matter what the numbers are.[27] Finally, 63% of Hope Arts students say that they are taught problem solving and decision making, which is a good amount of students.[28] Overall, the students of Hope Arts High School have both good and bad results when it comes to teacher interaction and influence, but they seem to be making improvements to increase these numbers.
Health:
The health of the students is one of the most important things in a school, and it's good to make sure that the environment that the students are in are healthy as well. At Hope Arts, there is a somewhat low percent of students who are involved with risky behaviors and attitudes. When it comes to smoking at least once a day, about 18% of HA students admitted to it.[29] When it comes to chewing tobacco, about 15% of students admitted to using it. 21% of students at Hope Arts said that they've used illegal drugs, and about 30% said that they've drank at least once in the span of a month.[30] Not all students use these products, but a higher percentage of students admit to their friends approving these products. About 30% of students say their friends would approve if they smoked marijuana regularly, and the same amount of students said their friends would be alright with it if they had more then five alcoholic drinks once of twice every weekend.[31] The students at Hope Arts seem to somewhat get involved in risky behaviors.
Another part of a student's health is their interaction with technology, diet, sleeping pattern, and self-image. 35% of Hope Arts students said that they've had problems with acne or weight issues, being either overweight or underweight.[32] 70% of students, a surprisingly large amount of students, admitted to getting seven or less hours of sleep a night, where the average a teenager should get is eight or more.[33] When it comes to diet, 35% admitted to not having fruits or vegetables within the past day and 50% of students said they eat breakfast, the most important meal of the day, two or less days of the week.[34] One of the biggest obstacles for students nowadays is focusing due to distractions from technology. 50% of Hope Arts High School said they watch television for two or more hours a day, a pretty unhealthy amount.[35] Around 38% also said that they IM (Instant Message), check their e-mail, or talk in chat rooms for two or more hours a day as well.[36]
Overall, the health of the Hope Arts High School students could be improved by engaging in less risky behaviors, eating healthier, getting more sleep, and spending more time away from technology.
Student View of their School:
In my opinion, the most important way to show a school's success is by getting the students opinion. No one knows a school better than the students that attend that school. Their opinions about their comfort level and relationship with staff are very important. When it comes to comfort levels, 38% of students felt comfortable discussing academic issues with a teacher or other staff members, and 21% felt comfortable enough to talk about family or personal issues.[37] On the flip side though, something should be altered if students do not feel comfortable in their academic environment. When questioned, 19% admitted to being robbed once or more at school, 12% admitted that teasing is a big hassle for them, and 13% admitted that someone in their school attempted to sell them drugs once or more.[38] Based on this information, Hope Arts needs to provide a more comforting environment for their students, and perhaps it will have an influence on other aspects of their school life.
Conclusion:
Overall, Hope Arts High School in Providence, Rhode Island is a complex and interesting school. The various measures of their success and faults are listed above: Demographics, Assessments, Accountability, Health, and student Point of View. Hope Arts, as shown by their demographics, is a diverse school, having students of all races, classes, and abilities. The students could use some improvement on their state-wide assessments and their accountability in order to improve their standings against other schools in the state. The health of the students and their view of their own education and experience could also use improvements. This report contains information that is important for people to know because it shows truly how Hope Arts High School is performing overall as well as in many different aspects. The information is relevant to those students who are thinking of attending and parents who are thinking of sending their children to Hope Arts. If the principal and other authority figures of the school examine the material provided about their performance and overall community and use this information to make improvements, Hope Arts has the potential to become a very positive and influential school in the state of Rhode Island.
Providence Schools: Hope Arts High School. (2010). Providence Schools. Retrieved October 25, 2010, from http://www.providenceschools.org/schools/high-schools/hope-arts
Providence Schools: Hope Arts High School. (2010). Providence Schools. Retrieved October 25, 2010, from http://www.providenceschools.org/schools/high-schools/hope-arts
Providence Schools: Hope Arts High School. (2010). Providence Schools. Retrieved October 25, 2010, from http://www.providenceschools.org/schools/high-schools/hope-arts
Information Works! 2009 : School Reports. (2009). Information Works. Retrieved October 16, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindDist.asp?District=01
Information Works! 2009 : School Reports. (2009). Information Works. Retrieved October 16, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindDist.asp?District=01
Information Works! 2009 : School Reports. (2009). Information Works. Retrieved October 16, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindDist.asp?District=01
Information Works! 2009 : School Reports. (2009). Information Works. Retrieved October 16, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindDist.asp?District=01
Information Works! 2009 : School Reports. (2009). Information Works. Retrieved October 16, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindDist.asp?District=01
Information Works! 2009 : School Reports. (2009). Information Works. Retrieved October 16, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindDist.asp?District=01
Information Works! 2009 : School Reports. (2009). Information Works. Retrieved October 16, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindDist.asp?District=01
Information Works! 2009 : School Reports. (2009). Information Works. Retrieved October 16, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindDist.asp?District=01
Information Works! 2009 : School Reports. (2009). Information Works. Retrieved October 16, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindDist.asp?District=01
Providence School District
Ruqayya El-Asmar
“The mission of Central High School is to instruct students in practical knowledge, foster positive attitudes, encourage commendable behaviors and promote opportunities in order for students to realize their potential to thrive in a global technological society.”
Introduction
Central High School is located in the heart of Providence, Rhode Island. This school includes grades 9-12 and is home to 1,719 students. This report analyzes various aspects of the school including assessments of the students in math and reading, accountability and progress of the school when compared to other Rhode Island high schools, the curriculum and instruction that students are receiving, as well as the student-teacher relationship at Central High School. This analysis can give parents and teachers a better understanding of Central High School, and conveys the school's strengths as well as its weaknesses.Assessment
The students in Central High School have very low proficiency levels in all subjects; math, reading, and writing. This is especially true for math, where 80% of the students in the 11th grade are considered substantially below proficiency levels, and only 4% of the students are considered proficient.[1] Students tested better in writing and reading, but still more than half of the students are not considered proficient. Reading is the only subject in which students are considered proficient with distinction, yet this only include 4% of the students. 35% of these students are considered proficient, while 33% are substantially below proficiency. [2] In writing, 17% of students are considered proficient, while 22% of students are considered substantially below proficiency. [3] While students are struggling the most in math, the scores in reading and writing also need improvement.
Based on the characteristics of students, there is a much higher percentage of students who have more difficulty in math, and they have lower proficiency in this subject when compared to reading. When looking at proficiency in math, racial backgrounds does not appear to influence the proficiency levels. 100% of Asian and White students are not reaching proficiency in math, while 97% of African Americans and 94% of Hispanics are not reaching proficiency.[4] These students have similar percentages of proficiency when tested in reading, with only White students pulling slightly ahead with only 33% of students not reaching proficiency.[5] There is no significant difference in the schools of students who are in poverty when compared to those who are not affected poverty. Gender also does not seem to have a great difference in reading, but males have 93% of students not reaching proficiency, while 99% of females are not reaching proficiency in this subject.[6] 100% of the high school students with disabilities who were tested did not reach proficiency in either math and reading, which may be a reflection of a lack of programs to accommodate students with special needs.[7] Racial background, economic standing, and gender all have little effect on the proficiency levels of Central High School students.
Accountability and Progress
The students in Central High School are not reaching state targets or showing adequate progress performance in index scores. This is especially true for math, which seems to be a subject that these students have particular difficulty with. Regarding the state targets in reading, most students are either above or extremely close to the target index scores.[8] Students with disabilities have significantly low scores, which might be a result of a lack of resources for the students with special needs. The economically challenged students who suffer from poverty do not have lower index scores when compared to other students who have equally below state targets.[9] While Central High School is showing slow increases in index scores in both reading and math, they are still significantly below other Rhode Island high school index scores.[10] The students in Central High School are not making the progress they need in order to catch up to other high school students in Rhode Island.
Curriculum and Instruction
The curriculum at Central High School is lacking in the advanced placement classes that are offered and the number of students who take the exams. 0% of seniors have taken AP exams. This compared poorly to the Rhode Island state averages off 22% of seniors who take these exams, with 60% of these exams are scored at college-level mastery.[11]
The type of instruction given by Central High School teachers and the methods they use in the classroom are consistently within the maximum and minimum ranges of other Rhode Island High Schools, though they are not always equal to Rhode Island High School averages. Central High School surpasses state averages in the writing instruction given to the students as well as the examination of student’s work and the guidance and instruction given to them by their teachers.[12] In all other aspects, the school scores lower than Rhode Island High Schools, and are close to the minimum range. Students are not taught problem and decision making skills in the classroom, and the materials taught do not relate to student’s interest.[13] There is also not enough revision of the written work done by students, and a lack of students giving feedback to one another in the classroom. [14] While there seems to be adequate student-teacher interaction, there does not appear to be sufficient interaction between students.
Student-Teacher Connectedness
The student-teacher relationship at Central High School is weaker than it is in other high schools in Rhode Island. A smaller percentage of students in Central High School feel that they can talk freely to their teachers about academic and personal problems when compared to other Rhode Island High Schools. This is especially true for the expression of personal or family problems, where only 9% of students say that they are comfortable expressing personal issues to their teachers.[15] This score is at the very minimum of Rhode Island High School ranges. Only 23% of students say that they feel comfortable discussing academic issues with their teachers, compared to 47% of students in other high schools in Rhode Island that feel comfortable with this openness.[16] This inability to interact with teachers when having difficulty in school may influence the low test scores and slow progress toward improvement. Less than 20% of students say that they receive individual help and advising from teachers, and this is higher than the average for other Rhode Island high schools. Students need more individual attention from teachers and advisors, and are not getting the services they need in order to succeed.[17]
Only 50% of teachers believe that they interact with students in a way that shows interest and respect, and this is significantly below state averages.[18] 50% of teachers believe that they use positive approaches to help children behave constructively, which is again significantly below Rhode Island high school averages.[19] The advisory program in Central High School is also lacking, and they need a program that is led by the teachers as there are in other Rhode Island High Schools. Students need more personal interaction with their teachers and individual guidance based on their needs. They need to feel more comfortable in discussing academic issues in order to improve and show progress in their work.
SALT Reports
According to the SALT Reports, students are entering Central High School with gaps in their education, and are missing basic skills that are needed to compete with other schools in the district and in the state. Without adequate programs to address these needs, students are not able to succeed at the level that is expected of them, and it leads to poor performance.From the conversations with teachers and meetings with students, the SALT report concluded that the quality of instruction and the curriculum are inconsistent, and do not meet the needs of the students. Almost several times a month, students are assigned worksheets and have multiple choice or short answer questions. They are also often assigned problems from the textbook and do not participate in enough hands-on learning activities, which occurs only monthly.[20] Peer tutoring occurs a little less than monthly, and there are not many activities in which students can work together and get to know each other. This can also be reflected in only monthly occurrences of group projects.[21]
Because most assignments are from the textbook and the exams are in multiple choice and short answer form, 30% of students do homework for less than 30 minutes a night during the week and 39% of students do homework between 30 minutes to one hour. Over the weekend, 46% of students study for less than 30 minutes and only 4% of students study between two to three hours.[22]
The expectation for student performance is very low, not only in the eye of the administration, but it is also affecting teachers. This is leading to an undemanding curriculum that involves teaching basic skills and multiple choice based tests. The students lack class discussions and projects, and there needs to be more emphasis on their critical thinking abilities and incorporating hands-on activities into the classroom.
Conclusion
Central High School is a very racially diverse school located in the center of Providence. These students have difficulty in math, reading, and writing, and are not showing sufficient improvements when compared to other Rhode Island high schools. The curriculum and instruction is more focused on basic skills and multiple-choice based testing, and does not place enough emphasis on critical thinking and discussions. Students need more one-on-one interaction with their teacher and advisers, and students would highly benefit from this attention and this could lead them to improve academically. This analysis of Central High School is important for students, parents, teachers, and administrators to examine and understand. The community can use the information that has been explored in this report to make improvements and progress in Central High School.
Primrose Hill School
District: BarringtonAuthor: Claire Hilsinger
Introduction
The Primrose Hill School is located in Barrington, Rhode Island. Grade PreK- 3rd Grade are taught in this school. There are 347 students in this school. 95% are White, 4% are Asian, and 1% are African American. Four students receive English as a Second Language services. 5% of the students qualify for free and reduced price lunch and 14% receive special education services. There are different class styles to choose from at this school. You can do a three-year multi-age program or a 1-2 year looping program. There is also a K/1 program for students who are not yet ready for 1st grade.
Assessments
Only the 3rd grade students are tested a the Primrose Hill School. Starting in 2006-2007 Primrose Hill School had 11% of students who scored substantially below proficiency in Math, 7% were considered partially proficient, 40% who were proficient, and 42% who were considered proficient with distinction. The total Math proficiency for this year was 82%. In the 2007-2008 school year 7% of students were substantially below, 12% were partially proficient, 45% were proficient, and 36% were proficient with distinction. The total proficiency for this year was 81%. In 2008-2009 school year 18% of students were partially proficient, 54% were proficient, and 27% were proficient with distinction. The total proficiency for this year was also 81%.[1]
The Reading score were better than the Math scores. In 2006-2007 4% were substantially below, 6% were partially proficient, 59% were proficient, and 31% were proficient with distinction. The total proficiency for this year was 89%. In the 2007-2008 school year 2% were substantially below, 10% were partially proficient, 59% were proficient, and 29% were proficient with distinction. The total proficiency for this year was 88%. Then for the 2008-2009 school year 8% were partially proficient, 55% were proficient, and 37% were proficient with distinction. The total proficiency for this year was 92%.[2]
Accountability
This school is not diverse and therefore only accounts for the scores of white students. The average math score in 2008 was 92%, which was well above the state average of 74.5%. The average English score was 96.1% which was also higher than the state average of 84.1%. Their attendance rate is 95.9% which is better than the state average which is 90%.[3]
In the 2005-2006 school year the average math scores were 97% and their English scores were 98%. Both of these scores were above the state averages which were 81% and 85% respectively. In 2006-2007 the Math score was 94% and the English score was 97%. These were also above the state averages which were 83&% and 86%. Finally in 2007-2008 the math scores were 92% and the English scores were 96%. And once again the schools scores were well above the state averages of 82% and 86%.[4]
Recruiting Teachers
There are a total of 26 teachers in this school. In this school 13% of the teachers have worked in the field of education for more han 25 years. Also 13% of the teachers have 3 years or less of experience.Between 2005 and 2006 less than 60% of the teachers in this school responded to the SALT survey compared to almost 80% in the entire state. In 2006-2007 only about 50% of the teachers in this school responded to the SALT survey and about 80% of teachers across the state responded. In 2008-2009 closer to 40% of the teachers in the school responded to the survey and close to 60% statewide responded.[5]
Around 50% of the teachers in this school believe there is not enough time for adequate planning. About 30% said there was a lack of time for team planning. Close to 20% of the teachers in this school feel that teacher training is lacking. Just under 20% of the teachers in this school believe that the school is lacking developed curriculum. And about 10% said that they think the school is pretty disorganized.[6]
Just over 60% of the teachers in this school feel they are encouraged to make their own decisions. Close to 90% of the teachers in this school said that their team or grade level share information with each other. 90% of the teachers in this school feel that the staff pushes themselves to do their best work. In this school 60% of the teachers believe that they are good at handeling student discipline or behavioral management. Just under 40% of the teachers in this school believe they accomplish school wide goals. Only about 50% of the teachers in this school feel they have the opportunity to take part in decisions.[7]
Conclusion
Over all this is a very good school. They are not very diverse and all of the information I was able to collect only accounted for white students. They have pretty high test scores especially in English. Their teachers seem pretty satisfied with the way the school is run. Their teachers also seem pretty well experienced.William B. Cooley, Sr. Health & Science Technology High School
District: Providence
Author: Kyle Hollenbeck
Introduction
William B. Cooley, Sr. Health & Science Technology High School is a high school which includes grades 9-12 and is located in Southern Providence in which there are just about 400 students enrolled. This report will give a summary of the schools Standardized Testing Results in comparison with the RI state average as well as describing the success of the teaching methods used in concordance with both student responses, parent responses, and testing results. The target audience for this report is any person who finds him or herself interested in what type of students attend Cooley High School, how the school performs as a whole, and the overall safety and environment of the school itself.
Location
===
William B. Cooley is located in the Southeastern portion of Providence and resides in the 02905 zip code region just above Roger Williams State Park. Although most of its students are located within its 1.5 Mile radius buffer zone, it has students scattered throughout other various regions of Providence. The Southeastern "tip" of Providence (or the 02905 zip code region) is a fairly poor region with a median household income of $32,323, which is significantly lower than the countrywide median income of $41,994.[2] Along with this, 20.7% of the population is below the poverty level. Fortunately, Cooley is able to maintain a safe and supportive environment despite its location in a poorer section of Providence.Demographics
William B. Cooley is a very diverse school having a large amount of students from various ethnic backgrounds. It seems to be in accord with the Demographics of Providence as a community seeing as how 68% of its students are Hispanic and 21% are African-American. Although only a mere 1% of the students who attend Cooley are Bilingual, it is shown by Information Works that 16% of the students who attend the school use English as a second language. According to SchoolMatters.com, 59.3 of Cooley's students are economically disadvantaged.[4] This seems to go in accord with Information Works data shown in that 81% of its students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.
Assessment
As shown by the Performance Progress graph shown on the Information Works site, the performance of William B. Cooley's students dropped in the years 2008-2009. Although the drops are only 3, 2, and 7% in Mathematics, Reading, and Writing respectively, the effect of the drops is heightened due to the fact that RI high schools' SAT scores increased on average by 5, 7, and 4% in Mathematics, Reading, and Writing respectively. Reading appears to be Cooley's strong point seeing as 34% of the 2008-2009 Grade 11 class reached proficiency whereas in Math and Writing for that year only 7 and 17% reached proficiency or higher. Cooley definitely needs to improve its percentage of students who are proficient in all three areas of Mathematics, Reading, and Writing, especially since the schools average for theses standardized testing sections all dropped from 2008 to 2009.
Accountability
Since there are fewer than 45 students of each "group" of students classified aside from those of a Hispanic background or those who are economically disadvantaged, those two groups of students are the only ones whose scores can be into account to be compared with the state target. As a whole, the school met the state target in both Mathematics and English Language Arts (ELA) earning a 54.1 and a 77.3 respectively. While they actually attained a higher average than the state target in ELA, their Math score was lower by 9.1 but still seen as meeting the state target due to significant progress towards the target itself. Both Hispanic students and Economically Disadvantaged students surpassed the state target in ELA, earning a 77.6 and 76.2 respectively, but missed the state target in Math (56.9 and 53.3 respectively). However, Hispanic students as a whole were counted as having met the state target due to significant progress shown towards the target. Although Cooley has been given credit as meeting the state target for both Math and ELA index scores as a whole, the Math score is still below the target in reality and the ELA is only just above it. In other words, improvement is still needed.
Safe and Supportive Environments
It would appear that student-teacher relationships are not as strong they should be at Cooley seeing as only 29% of the students feel as though they would be able to talk about academic issues they are having with their teacher. However, students do appear to be a bit more straight-edge than most Rhode Island schools concerning illegal substances and consumption of alcohol. This would show that although the teachers may not set up a completely academically comforting environment, it is still one that can have a good impression upon the students. Also on the plus side, crime appears to be low in Cooley in comparison with other schools in RI. Considerably less students have been robbed at Cooley (19%) than the state average of RI (27%) schools shows and the percentage of students who have been hassled to buy drugs is about half that of the state average with only 16% of Cooley students being bothered and with a state average of 29%.
Curriculum and Instruction
[9]
From the teacher's perspective, Cooley appears to be above average in consideration of RI high schools concerning its Curriculum and Instruction. A little more than double the percentage of teachers (55%) than in the average RI high school (26%) state that Students provide feedback to one another at least weekly. In all the other categories polled for weekly habits the Cooley percentage appears to be higher than that of RI high schools in general. Cooley seems to be in accord with the RI state average concerning its thoughts on parents participation in their child's education. Only a little less percent of Cooley students' parents (79%) than the state average (82%) feel that the community supports Cooley itself; however, 20% of the teachers at Cooley feel that the parents actually are supportive, whereas the state average for this feeling of parental support by the teachers is around 28%. Pertaining to students' work habits and participation in class noticed by teachers, the percentage seems to be significantly above the state average. However, the feeling that the community is involved in the school seems to be less in the perspective of parents, teachers, and students, than the state average for these three.
[10]
SALT Report 2008
For the most part the SALT report from 2008 agrees with the results of the
Information Works site. The chart on the right is just a small example of this and shows a more in depth explanation of the chart above regarding the community's support of the school. Also many of the higher percentages from 2003 in the "Does not Do" section have gone down significantly since then showing that Cooley has improved in satisfying its community.
As shown by a chart graphing the ratings of students' perceived school
climate, the students' perceptions have all improved since 2003. However, all five categories of "Overall Score", "Teacher's Provide Support", "Clarity of Behavioral Expectations and Rules", "Students show Commitment", and "Positive Student Interactions Take Place" were marked as being true "sometimes on average by the students at Cooley. The exact ratings given were 3.3, 3.2, 3.7, 3.6, 3.5 respectively. [11]
In regards to teacher-student relationship results found in the 2008 SALT Report, the teachers appear to have much faith in the students learning-capabilities as well as dedication to their schoolwork. When asked to rate student behavior, on average, the highest rating given out by teachers for students have a "Moderate Problem" was "Underachieving" with a mere 20% while the highest rating given on average for "Serious Problem" was
"Persistence on Challenging Assignments" with just 8%. In the students' reports of classroom instructional practices, it was shown that, on average, the students voted in between "Hardly Ever" and "Sometimes" on the following conditions: "Integration and Interdisciplinary Instructional Experiences", "Small Group Learning Activities", "Community Based
Learning Opportunities", "Papers, Presentations, and Written Assignments", "Activities that Promote Understanding Different Cultures." These five categories averaged a 2.6, 2.8, 2.5, 3.0, and 2.9 amongst the students respectively. [12]This shows that the curriculum the teachers present is well-rounded and doesn't spend too much time on one certain aspect while leaving not enough time for another.
Conclusion
William B. Cooley, Sr. Health & Science Technology High School's strong point appears to be in its relatively safe and well-rounded environment rather than in its grades. Teaching practices may need to be improved in order to raise the scores but, from the information presented by the information Works site and the 2008 SALT report, it seems as though Cooley has relatively less crime than other schools in Rhode Island and has a relatively supportive community of its teaching practices (Although the teachers may not feel as supported as the parents claim they are being). One thing as far as student-teacher relationships that could be improved to help both environment and academics would be for the teachers to make sure that students feel comfortable enough to ask questions when they need help seeing as only 29% of the students feel as though they can talk with a teacher about academic issues. On the Academic sides of things Cooley needs to improve both its SAT scores as well as its Math and ELA index scores (more so Math than ELA). Not only are the percentages of proficient students in Math, Reading, and Writing low, but they also fell between the years of 2008 and 2009. Cooley seems to be doing considerably well with its school environment seeing as it is located in a fairly poor part of Providence and just needs to improve its students' grades in order to be considered one of the better of Rhode Island High Schools.
hs cooley.pdf. (n.d.). . Retrieved from http://www.providenceschools.org/media/68026/hs%20cooley.pdf
U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d.). Providence. Fact Sheet. Retrieved October 17, 2010, from http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=&geo_id=16000US4459000&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US44%7C16000US4459000&_street=&_county=providence&_cityTown=providence&_state=04000US44&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=160&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=null&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null®=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=
Rhode Island Information Works. (2009). William B. Cooley. Learning and Achievement. Using Information. Retrieved November 7, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindSch.asp
School Matters. (2008). William B. Cooley/Health & Science Tech Academy - Providence, Rhode Island Schools. Retrieved November 7, 2010, from http://www.schoolmatters.com/schools.aspx/q/page=sp/sid=76677
Rhode Island Information Works. (2009). William B. Cooley. Learning and Achievement. Assessments. Retrieved November 7, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindSch.asp
Rhode Island Information Works. (2009). William B. Cooley. Learning and Achievement. Accountability. Retrieved November 7, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindSch.asp
Rhode Island Information Works. (2009). William B. Cooley. Safe and Supportive Environments. Student's Point of View. Retrieved November 7, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindSch.asp
Rhode Island Information Works. (2009). William B. Cooley. Safe and Supportive Environments. Health. Retrieved November 7, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindSch.asp
Rhode Island Information Works. (2009). William B. Cooley. Curriculum and Instruction. Teaching Practices: High. Retrieved November 7, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindSch.asp
Rhode Island Information Works. (2009). William B. Cooley. Curriculum and Instruction. Engaging Families and Community. Retrieved November 7, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindSch.asp
SALT Survey Reports. (2008). Cooley Health and Science Technology High School - PARENT REPORTS. Parent Reports of School’s Efforts to Involve Parents [PA-B.4 (1 OF 2)]. Retrieved November 7, 2010, from http://schnet.ncpe.uri.edu/queries/PARRep.asp?TOC=81445&FOLDER=08&SC=25303&NW=.PDF
Nathanael Greene Middle School
District: Providence
Author: Rachel Jones
Introduction
Nathanael Greene Middle School is located on Chalkstone Avenue in Providence, Rhode Island. This school includes grades 6 - 8 and serves approximately 870 students each year. The majority of students who attend NGMS are Hispanic, but there is also a high proportion that are Caucasian and African American. There is a teacher-student ratio of 1 : 17, and approximately 50 teachers total. This report aims to inform the general public of the the amount of students at NGMS that are proficient in math, reading, and writing, whether or not students are reading the No Child Left Behind standards, the health of its students, and the teaching practices that occur in the classroom. I have found that NGMS is doing an adequate job of preparing its students for high school and their future, but there is still a lot of room for improvement.Assessments
NGMS seems to be similar to many schools in the Providence area in terms of assessment, but is in fact behind in terms of the state of Rhode Island. This graph shows that children fall behind every year in both reading and math. Also, writing scores are tested in grade 8 which seems to be on the low side, with only 44% of children above proficiency or proficient. The performance progress on the RI Works website indicates that NGMS is about average with schools tested in the state in the area of math, but below compared to the rest of the state in reading and writing. It is disappointing to see scores like this so early on in students' academic careers, because it makes it more difficult to catch up later in high school. Student characteristics indicate that students living in poverty are more likely to be less proficient in math and reading than their peers who are not living in poverty. This is not extremely surprising because statistics show that students who are living in poverty are likely to be behind compared to their peers. Also, something that I found shocking was that 90% of students with disabilities were considered to be not reaching proficiency in math, and 84% were considered to not be reacing proficiency in reading. Also, the two ethinicities that are further behind than their peers are African American and Hispanic students. Asian students are the most proficient ethinicity at this school, followed by Caucasian students. It is evident that by these statistics that NGMS is not preparing their students appropriately for their future, and they will probably face many obstacles in high school because they are not where they should be academically.
Accountability
NGMS is barely meeting its targets for the No Child Left Behind Act. With the exception of students with disabilities, this school met its target in the mathematics category. However, the majority of students did not meet the language arts target. Caucasians are the only ethnicity that are meeting both of the targets, which is disappointing because there is a large proportion of Hispanic and African American population in the school. Both Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students are meeting the math requirement, but not the language arts requirement. Students with disabilities is the only group that is not meeting either, and unfortunately, is not even close to the target. These extremely low scores could reflect a potential bias in the test, and if this is the case, revisions should be made to correct this bias. However, the good news is that NGMS met and went above its participation target. Even though these scores indicate that its students are a little behind, this school was considered to make adequate yearly progress. Furthermore, NGMS was behind compared to performance progress in the state of Rhode Island, but not by a significant amount. This data allows us to conclude that NGMS is meeting its NCLB requirements, but just barely.
Health
Middle School is a time where students are developing habits that are likely to stay with them for the rest of their lives, and it should be a priority for parents and educators to make sure that these habits are healthy. However, it seems that the majority of students at NGMS are not developing habits that will be beneficial to them in the future. About 15% of students reported that they had used illegal drugs and 25% reported that they had drank alcohol at least once within the last 30 days. When students are engaging in behaviors like this early on in adolescence, it is possible that habits like these will become worse and more destructive in the higher grades. Even more shocking was the amount of students (60%) that reported that they watched TV 2 hours a day or more. This is a decent amount, especially when scores on state assessments are lower than they should be. Also, 40% of students reported that they get 7 hours of sleep or less a night, which could also be leading to lower test results and hinder students' attention during the school day. Furthermore, approximately 35% of students reported that they perceive themselves to have problems with acne, their weight, or height. Middle school is the time where puberty is taking place, and confidence can be put to the test. The fact that students at NGMS are already experimenting with alcohol and drugs, coupled with their percieved "flaws" and lack of exercise and sleep, leads me to conclude that these students' health is already in a decline. Middle school should be the time where parents and schools are doing their best to promote healthy habits that will stick for the rest of these students' lives, and it seems that this is not being done.
Teaching Practices
Something that I believe gets overlooked too frequently in accountability and assessment heavy schools is the teaching practices that occur everyday in the classroom. It is important to look at what skills students are being taught (or not being taught) because they will need certain skills later in life. 61% of teachers from NGMS reported that they provide students with instruction in writing skills at least weekly, which is something that students definitely need in order to be prepared for high school and college. This score is lower than the state average of 71%, which suggests that students at NGMS are not as prepared as other students in writing skills . Even more frightening was that a lower percentage, 59%, of teachers reported that students are taught problem solving and decision making strategies weekly. In other middle schools, 70% of teachers are teaching problem solving skills weekly, which means that the students at NGMS are not learning the same skills as their peers in other schools. These skills are extremely important for students to learn in middle school because the earlier they are taught, the more natural they become, and will facilitate learning in high school and later in life. Also, only 27% of students revise their reports or papers, which is also a skill that students should be taught early in their academic careers.Conclusion
It seems that NGMS is a middle school that is doing a medicore job in many aspects of their students' education. Assessments results show that students are falling behind every year that they are there, and are behind when compared to other students in the state. Even though their scores are probably not the worst in the state, they indicate that students are not being Furthermore, NGMS is making its NCLB targets, but just barely. It is not up to par on language arts requirements, which could be because of ESL learners, or perhaps a less visible factor. Also, students have reported that they are engaging in behaviors that are likely to be damaging to their health and well-being in the future, like using illegal drugs, alcohol, and not sleeping enough. While it is not the sole responsibility of the teachers and administrators to make sure that students have healthy habits and making good decisions, schools should make sure that they are stressing how important these habits are. Teachers reported that strategies that could be beneficial to students later in the academic career, giving feedback on students' writing and teaching problem-solving strategies, are not being used the majority of the time in the classroom. It is evident that NGMS is doing an average to slightly below average of preparing their students for high school and the rest of their lives, but this is likely to decline with the way things seem to be going. NGMS needs to make serious changes in order to improve the quality of their students' education.Mount Pleasant High School
Providence School District
To provide a challenging academic experience for students that encourages life-long learning. We endeavor to provide students with a safe, healthy learning environment where they have opportunities to maximize their potential as responsible citizens and active members of society.
Introduction
Mount Pleasant High School is one of 39 high schools within the Providence Rhode Island school district. It is located at 434 Mount Pleasant Avenue in north west Providence, a relatively poor area compared to the rest of the state. Mount Pleasant High School is made up of approximately 1400 students and 116 faculty members and serves students from grades nine through 12 (1). They have a six period day schedule which begins at 8:20 am and ends at 2:50 pm (1). Best known for their boy's basketball, Mount Pleasant provides students with a learning community with extracurricular activities, however, academic performance is strikingly low. This report will overview this school's demographics, the school environment, and student performance. [1]Demographics
Student Ethnicity
Mount Pleasant is a very diverse high school with majority of their students having a Hispanic ethnicity. There are almost 3 times as many Hispanic students in this school compared to the Rhode Island's state average at a large percentage of 58%. 27% of students are Black, and 6% are Asian and less than 1% are American Indian. At Mount Pleasant only 9% of students are white, a dramatically lower percentage than the state average of 69%. There are approximately 1400 students who attend Mount Pleasant High School. There is a student to teacher ratio of 18:1, which is slightly more students to a teacher than the state average of 13. [2]
School Environment
Extra Curricular Activities:
Mount Pleasant has an enriching environment including many extra curricular activities for students to be involved in. Students can partake in yearbook, instrumental music, dance, majorettes, robotics, debate and athletics including softball, football, basketball, cross country, wrestling, volleyball, indoor and outdoor track, cheer leading, soccer and baseball. Out of all these activities, the school is best known for their boy's basketball team, the Kilties. They also hold activities such as prom, winter dance, honor's night, athletic awards, and an academic decathlon. [3]
Special Programs:
Mount Pleasant participates in free or reduced lunches if the students qualify. 69% of students at Mount Pleasant are eligible for this lunch program. This school also has programs for those who speak English as their second language (ESL) and also those who are bilingual. 8% of students participate in the ESL program and 7% participate in the bilingual program. They also have a special education program in which 13% of students are self-contained and 7% are in general education with supports. [4]
Student's Points of View:
Students report a fairly stable and safe environment at Mount Pleasant High School. 24% of students report that they feel comfortable talking to a staff member at school
about academic issues and 12% report that they feel comfortable talking to a staff member about personal or family problems they are having. Only 15% of students report that not getting along with their teachers is a hassle. A small 13% claim that teasing or bullying has been a hassle for them at Mount Pleasant. However, 26% of students say that they have been robbed at school one or more times and 26% say that someone has tried to sell them drugs in school. Overall, the environment in school is mostly safe yet there are a few hazards of being robbed and being involved with drugs. [5]
School Performance
Proficiency:
Overall, Mount Pleasant High School has low levels of academic performance. From the 2008-2009 school year, in grade 11 only 1% of students tested proficient in mathematics. 11% are partially proficient and a striking 88% of Mount Pleasant students are substantially below a proficient level. Math is the worst subject over all, however, the others also show low levels of academic performance. In writing, only 13% of grade 11 students in 2008-2009 were proficient. Reading is the most successful subject, yet still only 35% of students were proficient. Writing and reading proficiency increased from the 2007-2008 school year to the 2008-2009 school year. However, math showed a decrease in proficiency from the 2007-2008 school year to the 2008-2009 school year. All of the subjects showed a significant amount of less proficiency than other Rhode Island schools. Also, the diversity of students by race, sex, poverty, and language did not substantially effect proficiency in any subjects. SAT scores from Mount Pleasant are much lower than state averages as well as national averages. For example, the mathematics section SAT average score from Mount Pleasant is 368, whereas the Rhode Island average is 487, more than 100 points higher.
Graduation Rates:
The graduation rates at Mount Pleasant High School are much poorer than the average of Rhode Island. Only 65% of students graduated from Mount Pleasant in 2008, whereas the average rate for Rhode Island was 73.9%. The drop out rate for 2008 was 22.6% for Mount Pleasant and only 15.5% averaged for Rhode Island. Only 1.7% of students from Mount Pleasant High School completed their GED in 2008, almost only half of the average for Rhode Island, 3.2%.
Conclusion
Overall, Mount Pleasant High School gives their students a fairly safe and fairly enriched environment. There are many extracurricular activities provided at the school including after school clubs and also athletics. Mount Pleasant students report mediocre safety standards and fair comfort with their teachers and staff. The academic performance of Mount Pleasant High School students is very poor in relation to Rhode Island and national averages. Also, the graduation rates compare poorly with the state averages. Though the high school has relatively good environment and community, the learning at Mount Pleasant High School needs great improvement.- ^
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**1. P.S. (2009). Mount Pleasant High School - Providence Schools: Data Sheet. Retrieved November 1, 2010, from http://www.providenceschools.org/schools/high-schools/mount-pleasant
G. S. (2009). Mount Pleasant High School - Great Schools - Demographics. Retrieved November 1, 2010, from http://www.greatschools.org/cgi-bin/ri/other/222#students
P. S. (2009). Mount Pleasant High School - Providence Schools: Data Sheet. Retrieved November 1, 2010, from http://www.providenceschools.org/schools/high-schools/mount-pleasant
R. I. I. W. (2009). Mount Pleasant High School - Using Information. Retrieved November 1, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindSch.asp
R. I. I. W. (2009). Mount Pleasant High School - Students' Point of View. Retrieved November 1, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindSch.asp
Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center
District:State Operated School; main student source is Providence
Author:Cynthia Kirchner
Introduction
The Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center, commonly called the Met.,is a unique school that inspired a dramatic change in schools across the country. It is only fifteen years old and it was founded on the ideas of an individual learning plan for students. The school uses a variety of different techniques to challenge, inspire, and encourage its students to do their best. The program is unique, one of only twelve and it was the original and prototype. This school requires that the student and their families submit an application to the MET to be considered to be a student. The school does not have as much structure as a "normal" public school would. They do not grade students by their tests and such but by a two page report about the student and their progress addressed to the parents from an adviser. The students' progress is evaluated by a board, through presentations of the student's individual portfolios.[1] The school has about 29 students to every one teacher.[2] It is a state run and funded school that is based out of Providence, RI. The Met is located in the Lower South Providence Region on Public Street. The school requires an application to get in and the school is required to accept seventy-five percent of its incoming class to be from the Providence area, and the remaining twenty from other areas around Rhode Island.[3] This report is intended for the general public to view and evaluate the MET based on the data collected from various resources such as SALT surveys, Information Works.com and from the school's own home website. The report will evaluate the effectiveness of the unique program that is the Met, by looking at the demographics, academics, environment, and school climate.Demographics and Academics
Since the population of the Met comes from all different places around Providence and Rhode Island on would suspect a great deal of diversity of ethnicity and backgrounds. As the student population is predominantly Hispanic, forty-three percent, White, twenty-eight percent, and African American, twenty-six percent, one could say the the population is very diverse. The population also includes two percent of each Asian and Native American students. The area of Providence that the school is located in is also a very diverse area, as compared to the rest of Providence. The poverty level, as indicated buy the percent of students participating in the subsidized lunch program, is relatively high, sixty-four percent eligible, as compared to the Rhode Island state average, of seventeen percent of the child population living under the poverty line. This indicates that the population of students would be under outside stress and might be a lower performing in academics as this is shown to be a leading factor in classroom difficulties.[4]
This graph depicts the rate at which students are meeting, or missing, the specific standards set by the state for achievement on the standardized testing. The graph clearly shows that while the students at the Met are mostly proficient in reading they lack proficiency in mathematics. The graph shows the achievements of the students by ethnicity as well as by poverty level, and shows what one would stereotypically think. That the impoverished students did better overall as well as the Caucasian population, while the African American and Hispanic students performed at a lower level of proficiency. This could be an indicator of outside education for the more financially fit families or a sense of discrimination by the establishment. However the latter is not indicated in any other data nor in any reviews that are available to the public.[5]The school is not making the improvements needed to meet the state requirements, in fact they are labeled as making insufficient progress by the state in their scores in Math and exceeding the standard in English Language Arts. The state set the bar at sixty-three point two for the math on the NECAP's (New England Common Assessment
Program) and the school only achieved a forty-seven point one, in the English language arts department the state set the bar at seventy-five and the school achieved a seventy-nine on the test. The exam was taken by ninety-nine point four percent of the school's junior class which shows that these numbers are highly accurate, especially when one considers that the state only set the bar at ninety-five percent. Although the school is ahead of the bar, as compared to the state average they are far behind. The English language arts score for the state is eighty-five, and the school is even farther behind the state average score in mathematics, which is a sixty-six. despite these dismal numbers the graduation rate of the school is ninety-four point nine percent, with the bar at seventy-nine point two percent.[6] This is a high rate of graduates from the program, especially considering the scores of the exams themselves, but not surprising considering the fact that the school's drop out rate is three percent below the state's drop out rate of sixteen percent .[7] This could perhaps have something to do with the teachers as the atmosphere of the school it's self.
Environment and School Climate
The climate of the school can make or break a school, whether they are having problems academically, which sixty-eight percent of the student reported, if they can find themselves comfortable in the school they are more likely to succeed. While all parents, students, and other concerned members of society would rather not see any crimes or safety risks at all, the Met has relatively low scores. Fifty-one percent reported having personal issues or family issues, seventeen percent reported having been robbed on at least one or more occasions at the school, five percent reported that teasing/harassment was an issue, and ten percent reported that they were offered drugs for sale at the school. The overall school climate score for the school was eighty-one as compared to the state rating of sixty-seven, showing just how safe/comfortable the students are in the school.
The school offers a special working program for the students to do work in the community or intern in the community for school credits, and sometimes pay. The school approves of the work and it is like a work release program in which they choose any field that they feel that they can gain valuable knowledge and wisdom for doing. This gets the students into the community learning if they want to do certain jobs and getting involved. The community is also rather involved as compared to other schools in Rhode Island.[9]
Conclusion
The Met, while on the breaking edge of new methods and techniques in teaching is still a work in progress. This is not surprising considering the fact that the school is still extremely new in relation to other schools in the area.The school, although far behind in the academics is far ahead of many schools in school climate and safety. The programs may be developing in academics, and they certainly need to do so to meet standards, but they are creating a friendly and supportive environment for students, introducing them into the ways of the professional world through their internships and interests program.Citations:
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Hampden Meadows School
Barrington, Rhode Island
Introduction
Hampden Meadows School is a fourth and fifth grade school in the Barrington School District. There are nine fourth grade classrooms, ten fifth grade classrooms, and four looping classrooms for the fourth and fifth grade. Children from the three elementary schools in Barrington- Nyatt, Sowams, and Primrose Hill, come together by fourth grade to build friendships as they move forward together into the middle school and high school. Hampden Meadows School is well known for its high achievement rates, high parent involvement, excellent teachers, and small class size.[1] Information gathered from the 2008-2009 SALT survey and Infoworks! is summarized into this report. This would be a perfect source of information for a family looking into moving to the Barrington School District.Brief Description
Hampden Meadows School is in a predominantly white school district, with 91% of its students being of non-Hispanic, white race. The students mostly come from a nuclear family, with 88% of students stating they live with both parents. The school is viewed in a positive school climate by students, as they report that teachers provide support, the rules and expectations are clear, students are committed, and their interactions with one another are positive.[2] When parents were questioned about how well their child is doing in school, 86% of parents responded that their child is an outstanding or good student. When asked about their child's attitude towards school, 65% claimed their child likes school a lot.[3]Accountability
Summary:
Hampden Meadows School met the standard in 2008 for both state Mathematics and ELA targets. The state's target for Mathematics was an index score of 74.5 and the average for all students was 95.4. The state's target for ELA was an index score of 84.5. The score for all students in ELA was 96.2. The charts above show comparisons between score averages of all students, white students, and students with disabilities. Like stated above, some data is missing because less than 45 students are part of that specific group. The performance is a good representation of consistency with each other and show that most children are on the same level, achieving close to or beyond the standards of the state target.Achievement
Summary:
Hampden Meadows Schools is in a mostly a white, affluent community. Therefore, there is a lot of missing data from the above chart. However, from the chart it can be concluded that a high percentage of the total number of students at Hampden Meadows Schools reach proficiency in both math and reading. Once again, there is missing data, meaning less than 10 students were tested in the group. Even though there is missing data, this is a good indicator of proficiency in the elementary schools.Connectedness
Connectedness Among Teachers, Professionals, and Administrators
Summary:
This graph is a representation of self-reports completed by teachers and staff regarding the connectedness among their colleagues and administrators. In Hampden Meadows School, teachers strongly agree that within their grade level, they work well together as a unit, help decide how school policies should change, and also respect each other's ideas and opinions. This data stays close to the data reported by Rhode Island elementary schools, meaning that Hampden Meadows has a relatively good handle on connectedness. When teachers were asked if classroom curricula and topics are integrated across subject areas, data nearly matched the data reported by all Rhode Island elementary schools- that between 40-50% of teachers report at least several times a month the curricula and topics are integrated. The only place where connectedness wavered concerning its closeness to the mean data of Rhode Island elementary schools, is when teachers were asked questions regarding involvement in school-improvement and the overall group spirit among staff. Hampden Meadows School teachers reported that staff are involved in school-improvement planning and decisions about 65% of the time, while teachers in Rhode Island elementary schools report the percentage a bit higher around 70-75% of the time. This could greatly affect how connected teachers feel to other staff and higher administration if they do not have a say in school-improvement. The most startling difference between other elementary schools in the state of Rhode Island and Hampden Meadows School in Barrington is the lack of group spirit among the staff. Although the state data recorded only around 65% group spirit among staff, it is much higher than Hampden Meadow teachers' report of only 45%. This is an important piece of information that needs to be addressed at Hampden Meadows School in order to improve the school's connectedness.Connectedness between Students and Teachers
Summary:
When observing the reports on connectedness between students and teachers, Hampden Meadows School is exemplary. Almost 80% of students report that teachers take a personal interest in students most of the time or always. This is a very close measure to the 80% from Rhode Island elementary schools that report the same. Hampden Meadows School surpasses the rest of Rhode Island Elementary Schools with 100% of teachers reporting the following positive news: members of their team or grade level interact with children in ways that show interest and respect, and they also use positive approaches to help children behave constructively. Although it is not a great difference compared to the 95% reported by all other Rhode Island Elementary Schools, it shows that these teachers at Hampden Meadows School are connected to their students in these ways all the time.Connectedness Throughout the School Community as a Whole
Summary:
To find the connectedness throughout the school community as a whole, parents, students and teachers were all asked questions regarding their interactions. By viewing the responses from the parents, it can be concluded that although parents feel that Hampden Meadows School does not view parents as important partners, the school goes above and beyond other Rhode Island Elementary schools by including parents on school committees, as about 70% reported. Eighty percent of students from Hampden Meadows schools say they have a sense of belonging in this school, which only slightly differs from the data collected from different Rhode Island elementary schools. Another key factor that shows Hampden Meadows has more connectedness than the rest of the schools in Rhode Island is shown in yet another report by students. Less than 20% of students reported that students in this school have trouble getting along with each other. This is a very good percentage in comparison to the average of 40% reported by other Rhode Island elementary schools. The final aspect of connectedness through the entire community comes from the reports from teachers. They reported that less than 10% of their students disrupt what other students are doing. When comparing the 10% to the average 30% reported by all Rhode Island elementary schools, it can be concluded that students are more connected here than in other schools. This conclusion is reinforced by the teachers' report that 100% of students in their classes enjoy working together, while only between 85-90% of teachers from all Rhode Island Elementary schools report the same message.Engaging Families and Communities
Community Support
Summary:
When looking at community support, parent participation is at the same level as Rhode Island Elementary Schools for the year 2007-2008 for the percentage of parents who responded to the SALT survey (~55-60%). Close to 100% of the parents agree that the community supports Hampden Meadows school. Teachers are almost 100% satisfied to the extent to which parents and the community are supportive of the school and its program, in comparison to other Rhode Island elementary school teachers who are around 55% satisfied. Finally, less than 10% of students report they are home alone three or more hours a day, for three or more days a week. This is a good indicator that families are either available for their children, or they are aware of the need for after school care.Working with Parents
Summary:
Although less than 60% of teachers believe parents should be involved in school governance because it is essential to effective education, parents report a high amount of communication with the school. The school does very well contacting the parents if the child is having a problem, but only contacts parents if their child is doing something well or improves, around 40% of the time. Regardless, Hampden Meadows has a high percentage of reports by parents claiming the school responds to questions and requests within a reasonable time, and also has parent-teacher conferences. Both reports yield a high percentage of over 80%, where all the other elementary schools in Rhode Island do not reach 80%. Hampden Meadows does about the same, if not a little better at asking parents to volunteer at the school, which yields a little bit over 60% response rate.Teacher Practices and Attitudes
Summary:
Once again, Hampden Meadows does a fine job either staying close with the Rhode Island elementary schools' ratings or surpassing them, when reporting about teacher practices and attitudes. Almost 40% of teachers report that they meet with individual parents on at least a weekly basis, and around 60% of teachers report that at least monthly they use parents as volunteers or other school resources. Teachers at Hampden Meadows School mostly agree strongly that teachers on their grade level keep positive relationships with the parents of students, while 100% of teachers believe that two-way communication between home and school is essential in order to provide effective education.Conclusion:
All data collected supports the conclusion that Hampden Meadows School is a exemplary school. Not only is it supported by its great staff, as shown in the connectedness and achievement reports, it is also shown in the connectedness reports that parents and the community are another strength of support as well. Students are high-achieving, consistently meeting or exceeding state standards as well as being recorded as highly proficient. With all this being said, Hampden Meadows is an excellent school!- “Hampden Meadows School-Student Reports,” http://schnet.ncpe.uri.edu/queries/StuRep.asp?TOC=81115&FOLDER=08&SC=25103&NW=.PDF
.- “Hampden Meadows School-Parents Report,” http://schnet.ncpe.uri.edu/queries/PARRep.asp?TOC=81115&FOLDER=08&SC=25103&NW=.PDF
.- “Accountability- Hampden Meadows.”
.Nayatt School
District: Barrington
Author: Matt Sheehan
Introduction
Nayatt School is an elementary school located in Barrington, Rhode Island consisting of grades kindergarten through 3rd grade. This is an outstanding school in many respects from testing reports, meeting and exceeding nearly all standards, and from SALT reports/surveys. According to the 2001 SALT report visit to the school, "Nayatt School is an exceptional learning institution committed to educational excellence and high standards of performance. The staff, teachers, and principal all desire to provide the best quality education. Your collaborative natureand reflective practices form a strong foundation that will continue to help children grow, learn, and develop."[1]
The purpose of this report is to explore how this school performs above the state average and national standards. The main areas of focus are school performance, teachers and students, and family/demographics gathering data from SALT surveys and testing results.
School Performance
In terms of standardized testing, Nayatt School has consistently preformed very well. In the 2008-09 school year, Grade 3 had 91% of the children at or above proficiency level in math and 95% at or above proficiency in reading. Not only is this nearly 40% more students at proficiency level than the state (61% math, 68% reading) but out of the past 3 years this was their lowest scores. Math and reading scores were lower this year, with the highest being 95% proficiency in math in the year 07-08 and 97% proficiency in reading in the year 06-07.[2] The school as a whole has made Adequate Yearly Progress and is Regents Commended. The 2007-08 performance progress included a mathematics index score of 98 compared to the state average of 82. In reading they also performed above the state also at 98 compared to 86 respectively.[3]The only complaint with this is that the performance has decreased slightly over the 3 years while the state average has increased steadily over those years. On further analysis of the SALT surveys there seems to be a decrease in many of the important teacher practices such as under the "Practices for Mathematical Reasoning and Skill Enhancement" section the question, "Mathematical concepts and reasoning are integrated into lessons" has decreased from a high of daily (6.7 out of 7) to 5.6 out of 7 or in between weekly and several times a week.[4] In terms of reading and literacy there was a big decrease from students reading from materials other than text books from 7/7 (daily) to 5.2(weekly)[5] . That could be considered a good thing in order to keep the lessons structured or a more negative thing since it decreases the amount students get to broaden their reading abilities. One impressive aspect is the area "students receive instruction in reading skills" was only 0.2 points off of daily in 08-09 and 06-07 and was done daily (7/7) in 07-08.[6] The results of these few areas of the SALT report is only a small portion of insight into possible reasons for such high scores and even for the recent drop. Here is concentrated to only teachers responses but to read more on the report follow the link to the citation and the web page below.
Lastly, as expected Nayatt school met all requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act standards and scored higher than the state and the district of Barrington in both reading and math in the 2007-08 year.[7]
Demographics
Nayatt School is in a very nice area being in a well to do part of the state. The population of school ethnicity is nearly all white with 94% of the student body. Asian, Hispanic or Latino, and multinational make up the rest of the school in very small amounts.[8] The percentage of males and females is 52/48 respectively with some fluctuations per grade level.[9] The percentage of white people at the school is also reflected in the town of Barrington as a whole, so their does not seem to be any special selection of students here. The fact that the school performs so well each year must have to do with the location and the family influences. Typically better off communities with a medium to high standard of living above poverty level perform much better in their schools. This is reflected in our overall report especially in looking at Providence and how the schools are performing poorly that have higher poverty rates and lower incomes. In contrast, Barrington schools perform very highly in regards to the state and also have high median incomes ($84,657 in 1999) and living standards.[10]Family
According to the 2001 SALT report the main reason for such high performance is parent involvement and the strong foundation that students have coming into the school.[11] A strong base knowledge from parents this seems to be an essential factor in the students performance. According to the Census, 94% of Barrington residents have a high school degree or higher and 53.2% have a bachelors degree or higher.[12] Judging by the amount a typical resident makes one could assume the parents of students have well to do jobs possibly in intellectual areas which provide stimulating real world applications to aspiring students. Just for students going to Nayatt, the percentage of parents with a college degree is an impressive 91%! [13]Not only are the parents highly educated but they are also involved and care about their child's education; the SALT survey confirms this. The teachers feel that the parents value education with over 50% responding that they seem "very" concerned with students education.[14] Upon looking at the parent SALT reports the parents seem to spend a lot of time on individual learning at home like reading to their child, or practicing spelling before a test. Their seems to be less involvement in terms of actual school functions such as PTO or going to events.[15] Unfortunately, the teacher SALT survey shows that the teachers only meet with parents to "increase involvement" or "discuss progress of their child" quarterly to several times a year. Now this was taken in 2008 where as the SALT report stated the importance of parent involvement back in 2001. It seems the parents have taken a lot more teaching into their own hands but do not meet with the teachers to really know how they are teaching. The fact that the school still performs so well shows that this is not a big problem but it seems the school could use more parent connections to school, not just through their children.
Teachers and Students
The students at Nayatt come in having a very strong base according to the SALT report as stated in the previous section. One of the strong points the reporters noticed was not only the strong base the students have but the "love of reading students exhibit", "the ownership students take for their own learning", and self management skills.[16] The report stressed analyzing and making connections for literacy along with increasing complexity of assignments and tests.[17] It seems as though the increase in work for students has certainly paid off in the incredibly high performance level of students.Schools would be nothing without teachers and Nayatt has some great teaching staff that is experienced, dedicated, and caring. In 2008 nearly all teachers have taught for over 10 years with a quarter of the teachers having taught more than 25 years.[18] According to the teacher SALT survey the teachers have integration and interdisciplinary instructions and small group exercises weekly. <!--[if gte mso 10]>
Practice for math enhancement occurs slightly more than reading enhancement (both a few times a week), but they have instructions for both daily. The teachers also provide a reasonable amount of cross course instruction which is important for younger students to gain understanding and context. Under the critical thinking section the teachers value most that their students give peer feedback and keep journals, but they lack more writing assignments such as essay test or responding to newspapers.[19] As was stated in the 01 SALT report, Nayatt school needs to improve on their writing and that skill still seems lacking which is due to the fact that it does not seem to be included in teachers lessons according to the data from SALT surveys[20] . Hopefully this area was not left behind in terms of importance because it is not tested for in No Child Left Behind for Elementary. Based on the consistent dedication it seems writing is just one factor that is lacking and undervalued at this school. Overall the teachers are well educated in their areas with many having specialties in either Elementary education and more specifically, it seems, in reading which could attribute to why the school performs better in reading than in math.[21]
Conclusion
Nayatt school is an amazing school with great teachers, parents, and students. Their performance on tests in reading and math are much above the state average and they are making Adequate Yearly Progress as well as meeting the No Child Left Behind standards. There are many reasons for the great learning potential at this school and it first stems from the environment these children live in. Most families provide support, encouragement, and involvement in their student's education and pass along a sense of importance of education which accounts for the children's love of learning. [22] The teachers are highly qualified, experienced, and provide the tools and energy necessary for students to feel safe and thrive. So many factors make up this great school and Nayatt provides a leading example of how to run a great Elementary school.RI Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (n.d.). Nayatt School SALT Report. Retrieved October 31, 2010, from http://www.eride.ri.gov/salt/
Rhode Island Infoworks. (n.d.). Nayatt School, Barrington; Assesments. Retrieved October 26, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindSch.asp?ID=01104
Rhode Island Infoworks. (n.d.). Nayatt School, Barrington; Accountability. Retrieved October 26, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindSch.asp?ID=01104
Rhode Island Infoworks. (n.d.). Nayatt School, Barrington; SALT Survey Reports. Retrieved October 26, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindSch.asp?ID=01104
Rhode Island Infoworks. (n.d.). Nayatt School, Barrington; SALT Survey Reports. Retrieved October 26, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindSch.asp?ID=01104
Rhode Island Infoworks. (n.d.). Nayatt School, Barrington; SALT Survey Reports. Retrieved October 26, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindSch.asp?ID=01104
Rhode Island Information Works. (n.d.). Nayatt School, Barrington; 2008 No Child Left Behind Report Card. Retrieved October 31, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindSch.asp
RI Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (n.d.). SALT Reports; TSRS; Student Demographics. Retrieved November 1, 2010, from http://schnet.ncpe.uri.edu/queries/TCRSRep.asp?TOC=81012&FOLDER=08&SC=25104&NW=.PDF#
Retrieved November 1, 2010, from http://schnet.ncpe.uri.edu/queries/TCRSRep.asp?TOC=81012&FOLDER=08&SC=25104&NW=.PDF#
US Census. (n.d.). Barrington town, Bristol County, Rhode Island - Fact Sheet - American FactFinder. Retrieved November 1, 2010, from http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=&geo_id=06000US4400105140&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US44%7C05000US44001%7C06000US4400105140&_street=&_county=barrington&_cityTown=barrington&_state=04000US44&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=060&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=null&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null®=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=&show_2003_tab=&redirect=Y
RI Department of Elementary and Secondary Educatino. (n.d.). Nayatt School SALT Report. Retrieved October 31, 2010, from http://www.eride.ri.gov/salt/
US Census. (n.d.). Barrington town, Bristol County, Rhode Island - Fact Sheet - American FactFinder. Retrieved November 1, 2010, from http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=&geo_id=06000US4400105140&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US44%7C05000US44001%7C06000US4400105140&_street=&_county=barrington&_cityTown=barrington&_state=04000US44&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=060&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=null&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null®=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=&show_2003_tab=&redirect=Y
RI Department of Elementary and Secondary Educatino. (n.d.). SALT Reports; Parent Reports. Retrieved November 1, 2010, from http://schnet.ncpe.uri.edu/queries/PARRep.asp?TOC=81012&FOLDER=08&SC=25104&NW=.PDF
Rhode Island Infoworks. (n.d.). Nayatt School, Barrington; SALT Survey Reports. Retrieved October 26, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindSch.asp?ID=01104
RI Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (n.d.). SALT Reports; Parent Reports. Retrieved November 1, 2010, from http://schnet.ncpe.uri.edu/queries/PARRep.asp?TOC=81012&FOLDER=08&SC=25104&NW=.PDF
RI Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (n.d.). Nayatt School SALT Report. Retrieved October 31, 2010, from http://www.eride.ri.gov/salt/
RI Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (n.d.). Nayatt School SALT Report. Retrieved October 31, 2010, from http://www.eride.ri.gov/salt/
Rhode Island Infoworks. (n.d.). Nayatt School, Barrington; SALT Survey Reports. Retrieved October 26, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindSch.asp?ID=01104
RI Department of Elementary and Secondary Educatino. (n.d.). SALT Reports; Staff Reports. Retrieved November 1, 2010, from http://schnet.ncpe.uri.edu/queries/StfRep.asp?TOC=81012&FOLDER=08&SC=25104&NW=.PDF
RI Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (n.d.). Nayatt School SALT Report. Retrieved October 31, 2010, from http://www.eride.ri.gov/salt/
Rhode Island Infoworks. (n.d.). Nayatt School, Barrington; SALT Survey Reports. Retrieved October 26, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/queries/FindSch.asp?ID=01104
RI Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. (n.d.). Nayatt School SALT Report. Retrieved October 31, 2010, from http://www.eride.ri.gov/salt/
District: Barrington
Author: Rachel Steyert
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Introduction
Barrington High School is a school for grades 9-12, and is located at 220 Lincoln Avenue, Barrington RI. The school performs very well academically, with high proficiency rates in math and English, high SAT scores, and high AP grades and participation. However, while they exceed all No Child Left Behind standards, statistics gathered from teachers suggest that the curriculum may need some improvement, and should have more emphasis on learning than testing. The community is mostly upper class and not very diverse, with a large majority of residents being white. A survey of the students reveals some safety issues, but the student body is still relatively healthy compared to the rest of the state. The school seems to work hard at keeping families and the community involved with the education of their children. I hope that this report will be informative to anyone interested in the educational experience at Barrington High School, be they an educator, parent, or student.
Demographics
Barrington is not a diverse area ethnically nor economically. The town is 96.4% white, 0.7% African American, 1.8% Asian, and 1.1% Latino.[1] The make up of the student body of Barrington High School is similar to the make up of the town: 95.2% White, 3.2% Asian, 0.9% African American, and 0.6% Latino. The current average grade size is approximately 280 students.[2] The community is also very well off economically. The median family income is $84,657, higher than the state median of $71,081 and much higher than the national median of $50,046. The percentage of families below the poverty line is a mere 3%, lower than the state average of 3.4% and the national average of 9.2%.[3] [4] This contributes to the success of the students, as they are taken care for and able to focus on school work. In 2000, 11% of children were living in single parent households, compared to 30% state-wide.[5] This also may be a factor in student achievement, as a stable home environment puts less stress on students.Learning and Achievement
Barrington High School is a very high achieving school, with high proficiency rates, SAT scores, and AP scores and participation. In 2008, 64% of 11th grade students were proficient in math, 91% in reading, and 60% in writing. In 2009, these numbers increased to 71%, 94%, and 76%, respectively. Also, 11% of students were proficient with distinction in math, 58% in reading, and 16% in writing. All of these results are substantially higher than state numbers. In 2009, only 27% of Rhode Island students were proficient in math, 69% in reading, and 41% in writing. 72% of non-poverty students reached proficiency in math, as did 94% in reading. White students yielded almost identical results, as did both male and female students and non-English-language learners. It is noteworthy that there were not enough students of other ethnic backgrounds, migrants, or English-language learners to make a statistic. There are not enough students in poverty to make a statistic. This is especially notable because, for some categories, only 10 students were required to make a statistic. 32% of disabled students tested proficient in math, while 65% reached proficiency in reading. 76% of students without disabilities reached proficiency in math, as did 98% in reading.[6] The index scores of all student types in both math and English language arts exceeded the 2008 state target. The school has a 91.2% graduation rate, far exceeding the state average of 79.2% of students.[7]
SAT scores in all categories are higher than both the state and national average. The average scores in mathematics is 591 (state: 487, national: 510), in reading is 556 (state: 483, national: 497), and in writing is 559 (state: 479, national: 488). 92% of seniors took the SAT, compared to 57% in the state and 39% nationally.[8]
89% of seniors took and AP exam in 2009, the highest percentage of any Rhode Island school. 84% of these students scored at college-level mastery. That's 210 students taking 365 exams, with 306 of those exams being passed at college-level mastery. In Rhode Island as a whole, only 22% of students took an AP exam, and 60% of those students achieved mastery.[9] This combined with their high SAT scores most likely makes Barrington High School students attractive to colleges.
According to the the school's 2008 School Report Card, Barrington High School has excelled above and beyond No Child Left Behind Standards, outperforming both the district and state statistics in English and Mathematics. The school exceeds the target of 95% participation rates for both Math and English Language Arts, with 99.3% participation in Math and 99.7% participation in English Language Arts. This can be compared to the the district's 99.3% participation in English and 99% participation in Math, as well as the state's 97.8% participation in English and 97.6% participation in Math. The school's statistics are even more impressive scoring-wise, with 95.5% of students testing proficient in English and 87.2% proficient in Math. Both of these greatly exceed the target scores of 75% and 63.2% proficiency rates in English and Math respectively. Again, these scores outperform the district's average of 95.3% proficient in English and 87.1% in Math, and greatly exceeds the state's numbers, with 85.2% proficient in English and a mere 66.3% proficient in Math.[10]
Despite their high achievement on tests, weekly activities reported by teachers shows that perhaps there are areas in which the curriculum could be improved. On a weekly basis, 47% of teachers examine students' work to guide instruction, 40% of students receive instruction in writing skills, 47% of instructional material relates to students' interests (though this is according to the teachers. It would be interesting to get the opinion of the student body on this statistic), 24% of students revise their reports and papers, 21% of students provide feedback to one another, and 52% of students are taught problem solving and decision making.[11] It would help to improve the curriculum if the amount of time spent revising and giving feedback was closer to the amount of time spent writing. Feedback and revision helps students to see what areas of their writing need improvement and what they can do to improve those areas. This is an important skill for these students to develop, as it will help them to better communicate their ideas in various situations they may encounter in their lives. Also, encouraging students to give each other feedback will encourage them to think more critically of their own writing.
Safe and Supportive Environment/Health
A look into student reports about safety reveal some surprising results. The high achieving Barrington High School may not be quite as safe as one might imagine. In a student survey, 68% of students reported that they feel they can talk to a teacher/staff member about academic issues most of the time, and 16% said they feel they can talk to them about personal or family problems all or most of the time. 12% of students reported that not getting along with teachers is a moderate to very big hassle, 23% report being robbed at least once in school, 8% state being teased or bothered by other students is a moderate to very big hassle, and 22% claim that someone in school has tried to sell them drugs at least once. That's over one in five students reporting having been robbed or offered drugs at least once.[12]
Regardless of the safety issues, the students at Barrington High School seem to be relatively healthy. Statistics involving drug/alcohol use, daily sleep, and weight problems are all close to or below state statistics. About 18% of students say they have smoked at least one day, compared to 22% statewide. Alcohol use is about half as much as in the state of Rhode Island as a whole, with only a little over 20% of Barrington students reporting having drank alcohol at least once. Statistics for sleep are identical to the state average, with almost 70% of students getting 7 hours or less of sleep each night (though this is still an important issue as it greatly affects focus, performance, and health). They eat breakfast more often than the average Rhode Island student, with only a little over 30% of students saying that they only eat breakfast two days or fewer in a week, while 50% do in the state. Only 6% of students have no regular doctor or nurse, compared to 12% of all Rhode Island high school students.[13]
Engaging Familes and Community
Based on reports from teachers and parents alike, Barrington High School appears to be focused on keeping families and the community involved in the education of their children. Almost 100% of parents agree that the community supports this school, compared to about 90% statewide. More than 80% of teachers say they are satisfied with the extent to which parents and the community are supportive of the school and its program, a significantly higher number than the statewide percentage of less than 30%. Less than 30% of students report being home unsupervised form 3 or more hours a day or 3 or more days a week, compared to slightly over 30% statewide. 50% of teacher agree that parental involvement in school governance is essential to effective education. Statewide statistics are about the same. 20% of parents report that the school does a good job contacting them if their child does something well/improves, 40% report being contacted if their child is having a problem, almost 70% say the school responds to their concerns and requests within a reasonable time, over 20% have parent-teacher conferences, and 40% are asked to volunteer at the school, compared to statewide statistics of 30%, 50%, 50%, almost 60%, and 30%. Almost 90% of teachers agree that other teachers on their team or grade level maintain positive relationships with students' parents, compared to less than 80% statewide. Almost 100% agree that two-way communication between home and school is essential to effective education, compare to 85% statewide.[14]
Conclusion
Barrington High School performs incredibly well all forms of standardized testing and AP exams, and greatly exceeds No Child Left Behind Standards. Despite a few concerning statistics, the school still seems to create a relatively safe learning environment. The school also does an excellent job keeping families and the community involved, according to parents and teachers alike. Still, in such a homogeneous, upper-class society, it's much easier for children to excel, as a lack of challenges/issues at home allows students to better focus on their school work.Despite the school's glowing achievement, the data still leaves some questions unanswered: Is the curriculum focused on testing or learning? It's easy for students to do well on standardized testing when what they're being taught is centered around those tests, but that doesn't mean they're learning the skills they need for college (and ultimately their future careers/life). This is possibly the most important question an educator can ask. After all, what is the function of education but to help children expand the realm of their knowledge and prepare them for their futures? It would have been interesting to have some insight from the student body on whether or not they think what they are learning is relevant. Also, what about the student groups (different races, children in poverty, etc) of which there were too few students for a statistic to be formed? How different are their test scores from the norm? Do they struggle any more than the average student? It would be interesting to know what unique challenges these students face, as it could help the school better lead them towards success.
Regardless of these unanswered questions, Barrington High School appears to be an excellent school with a safe and supportive community, working together to push students to succeed.
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Times2 Academy
District: Providence central school districtAuthor: Kyle Weinreich
Introduction
Times2 Academy is a unique example of a charter school within the state of Rhode Island. It is a K-12 math and science focused charter school. Designed to cater to the needs of the disadvantaged community within Providence. The question that this page will attempt inform the general public whether or not a charter school is a better method of educating minorities and students who are in poverty and if so, are the practices they use applicable to a wider school environment?
Assessment and Accountability
As we all know standardized tests are one of the most concrete and easy to understand measures student performance and institutional success. These tests give us concrete numbers and help us make data-driven decisions that are supported by clear numeric values. The following section analyzes these numeric values and the other factors that help to produce the results we are seeing so we can better understand whether or not the school is successful.
Times2 Academy does not appear to be overwhelmingly successful academically, specifically in the areas it was created to serve but the results of its testing results must be looked at to the lens of student demographics. When the data is looked at in that way we see that the school faces immense challenges and thus it's results are more surprising than they would otherwise be. This data is both startling helps explain the mediocre results on standardized tests and further explain why this school may in fact be successful its mission because it is overcoming such dramatic difficulties, specifically economic difficulties. With nearly 75% of all students eligible to receive free or reduced lunch[12] . This shows a vast majority of the students are economically disadvantaged, and thus the fact that they are scoring even remotely close to proficient in any standardized tests suggest to me that the teachers of Times2 Academy are doing a great job of reaching a group of students who is distinctly disadvantaged and generally written off as lost causes. In addition to this difficulty, 85% of the students at the school are black or Hispanic[13] . These are two groups that were targeted by No Child left Behind as groups who are being left behind. This is also in reference to the achievement gap that is been seen for decades that this school seems to be successfully closing.
What surprises me is that the school could be making adequate yearly progress with only18% of its students reaching proficiency in math and it's not only making adequate yearly progress is meeting all 17 targets that it was evaluated for[15] . although adequate yearly progress is based on the idea of continuing school improvement towards the goal of 100% such small gains with regards to math of only 9%, suggest that the school is a very long way to go with regards to math instruction. But the reason they may be making adequate yearly progress is because they started out with an initial number of 9% and doubled it 18. If you ignore the percentages and simply look at number of students meeting proficiency the school doubled the number of students within the school who are proficient in mathematics which may be the primary reason why they meet AYP.
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School Environment
as is demonstrated in the figure belowThis figure shows a series of graphs showing and student responses with regards to teacher connectedness within the school[20] The figure clearly shows that teachers are taking a personal interest in students above and beyond that of the Rhode Island average. With over 40% of students saying that always or most of the time, Teachers take a personal interest in students as compared to just over 25% for the rest of the state of Rhode Island[21] . This is yet another positive factor, resulting in a stronger sense of community, and as a result I believe higher student achievement within that demographic groups and within their district overall. The second half of the table shows presented. Teachers who believe that they interact with children in ways that show interest and respect. Which seems to be an equal level reporting for both the state and the school, in particular but the discrepancy in the results suggest that the teachers at Times2 Academy are much more successful in this department than other teachers across the state.in addition to teacher relations with students, and suspension rates illicit substances and other unhealthy behaviors are almost unknown factor within the school with a smaller percentage of students taking part in these unhealthy behaviors then for the rest of the state of Rhode Island.as demonstrated by the figure below
Teacher Practices
In addition to the results for teacher involvement. There is also the unique practices that many of these teachers use in their classroom environments which positively affect both the accountability scores and school climate, overall. it is the teacher practices that have the greatest impact on individual students. One good teacher can drastically change the direction in which a student is having an the practices that these teachers use our major factor in the success and resulting direction change for the students. Important qualities in this section will be the results for critical thinking practices, preferred methods of instruction, and typical classroom methods sections of salt reports.Conclusion
while the data from Times2 Academy may be confusing at first glance, many of the numbers do not seem to make sense with the other results that the school has posted. This does not change the simple fact that the school has implemented innovative teaching practices, is working with a diverse group of students, who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, and is consistently making adequate yearly progress as defined by the NECAP's standardized tests. Also, just because the school does not demonstrate proficiency on a standardized test. It by no way means that the school is not adequately teaching mathematics, science, or any other concept to its students. they simply may not be used to taking tests in this manner. Which may be results of the critical thinking practices stressed within the school that lead students to think outside of the bubble or box as it may be. Thus, the very practices that are so spouse within the school seem to be detrimental to their standardized testing results. I believe that the practices and qualities that critical thinking brings out within students are far more important and in the long run more beneficial to the students and by extent the community, then, is a higher NECAP score. Especially when the school is already making adequate yearly progress by doubling the number of students who are proficient in mathematics over the past year. thus, I believe that the school is a good choice for students and parents alike. As a charter school. It does require applications so I would recommend that anyone interested in applying (applications are only accepted from students within the Providence area) do so because the opportunities that the school seems to offer far exceed the average expectations of schools within the Providence district.=
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A Final Important Note
Times2 Academy is a K-12 institution that is extremely small with 648 students and only 43 teachers distributed over 12 grades[28] , class sizes within this building are very small this can easily results in extremely skewed data which we have already seen. Large fluctuations within standardized test results are possible when all it takes is one student to change the average. This compared to other large schools across the state where thousands of students are taking the same test individual students become less important. thus we see drastic changes in results from year to year and a much larger school, we can assume it is the failure of teachers to impart the knowledge. However, when we see the same fluctuations in the school with only 50 or so students taking the test of fluctuation can result from the student not getting enough sleep the previous night, or a single student not taking the test seriously.- “Information Works Providence District report, Learning and Achievement: Disaggregations,” n.d., http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/pdf/ds-disag/28d-disa.pdf
.- “Information Works Providence District report, Learning and Achievement: Disaggregations,” n.d., http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/pdf/ds-disag/28d-disa.pdf
.- “Information Works! Times2 Academy Learning and Achievement: Accountability,” n.d., http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/pdf/accountability/28170H-acco.pdf
.- “Information Works! Times2 Academy Learning and Achievement: Accountability,” n.d., http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/pdf/accountability/28170H-acco.pdf
.- “Information Works Providence District report, Learning and Achievement: Disaggregations,” n.d., http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/pdf/ds-disag/28d-disa.pdf
.- “Information Works! Times2 Academy Learning and Achievement: Accountability,” n.d., http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/pdf/accountability/28170H-acco.pdf
.- “Information Works Providence District report, Learning and Achievement: Disaggregations,” n.d., http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/pdf/ds-disag/28d-disa.pdf
.- “Information Works! Times2 Academy Learning and Achievement: Accountability,” n.d., http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/pdf/accountability/28170H-acco.pdf
.- “Information Works Providence District report, Learning and Achievement: Disaggregations,” n.d., http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/pdf/ds-disag/28d-disa.pdf
.- “Information Works! Times2 Academy Using Information,” n.d., http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/pdf/usinginfo/28170H-info.pdf
.- “Information Works! Times2 Academy Using Information,” n.d., http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/pdf/usinginfo/28170H-info.pdf
.- “Information Works! Times2 Academy Using Information,” n.d., http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/pdf/usinginfo/28170H-info.pdf
.- “Information Works! Times2 Academy Learning and Achievement: Accountability,” n.d., http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/pdf/accountability/28170H-acco.pdf
.- “Information Works! Times2 Academy Learning and Achievement: Accountability,” n.d., http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/pdf/accountability/28170H-acco.pdf
.- “Information Works! Times2 Academy Safe and Supportive schools: Incidence of suspension,” n.d., http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2008/pdf/suspensions/28170H-susp.pdf
.- “Information Works! Times2 Academy Safe and Supportive schools: Incidence of suspension,” n.d., http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2008/pdf/suspensions/28170H-susp.pdf
.- “Information Works! Times2 Academy Safe and Supportive schools: Incidence of suspension,” n.d., http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2008/pdf/suspensions/28170H-susp.pdf
.- “Information Works! Times2 Academy Safe and Supportive schools: Incidence of suspension,” n.d., http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2008/pdf/suspensions/28170H-susp.pdf
.- “Information Works! Times2 Academy Safe and Supportive Schools: Connectedness,” n.d., http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/pdf/connectedness/28170H-conn.pdf
.- “Information Works! Times2 Academy Safe and Supportive Schools: Connectedness,” n.d., http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/pdf/connectedness/28170H-conn.pdf
.- “Information Works! Times2 Academy Safe and Supportive Schools: Health Risks,” n.d., http://infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/pdf/Health/28170H-heal.pdf
.- “Times2 Academy, SALT report: Teacher practices critical thinking,” n.d., http://schnet.ncpe.uri.edu/data/800/25435/08/sf-a-hg-24.PDF
.- “Times2 Academy, SALT report: Attitudes Towards Educational Practices,” n.d., http://schnet.ncpe.uri.edu/data/800/25435/08/sf-a-hg-01.PDF
.- “Times2 Academy, SALT report: Attitudes Towards Educational Practices,” n.d., http://schnet.ncpe.uri.edu/data/800/25435/08/sf-a-hg-01.PDF
.- “Times2 Academy, SALT report: Teacher Reports of Classroom Practices,” n.d., http://schnet.ncpe.uri.edu/data/800/25435/08/sf-a-hg-15.PDF
.- “Times2 Academy, SALT report: Teacher Reports of Classroom Practices,” n.d., http://schnet.ncpe.uri.edu/data/800/25435/08/sf-a-hg-15.PDF
.Feinstein High School
District: Providence
Author: Lauren W
Basic Information
544 Elmwood AvenueProvidence, RI 02907-1820
(401) 456-1706
Kenneth C. Perry, Principal
Introduction
Feinstein High School is a small public school located in the Elmwood section of the city of Providence, Rhode Island. Feinstein is has students grades 9-12. Shortly after it was founded, Feinstein was closed and then reopened with site-based management. It was broken down into four "schools" with 90 students each to provide a revolutionary teaching and learning environment. This report contains both statistical facts and observational analyses of different aspects of the school including standardized test scores, demographics, student safety and satisfaction, and accountability. The purpose of this report is to give a concise overview of the school for parents, educators, and students alike."Feinstein works to realize its vision of developing an interdisciplinary project-based academic program."
Academic Performance
At Feinstein, the teachers and students are broken up into teams to harbor collaboration and ingenuity. They run on block scheduling, allowing more time in each class every other day. According to the most recent SALT report (January 12, 2007), projects are the most prevalent type of schoolwork. There are no tests, and no immediate grades for in-class assignments or homework. Book talks replace book reports. Some of the students are still adjusting to the nontraditional teaching style at FHS. The faculty works hard to engage students in the community by creating partnerships based on the guidelines of the Providence One Plan. The teachers give the students complex problems for long term projects with flexible deadlines. The students do not know how to tackle a problem that is not a direct question, thus giving up and waiting for face-to-face assistance with the teacher. Although this curriculum induces creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, the students will not learn the importance of deadlines or problem solving methods if the "let's wait for the teacher" mentality remains. To quote the evaluation "[Feinstein students] are typically open-minded, interested, and curious. However, they generally lack the self awareness, needed motivation, persistence, and confidence to communicate their thinking, reflect on their work, and evaluate their progress. These students do not successfully meet small deadlines, and they wait until the last moment to complete their projects." ([1] )The NECAP test results show that 95% of the students in 11th grade tested well below the proficiency level in math and the majority (74%) are below satisfactory in writing as well. [2] Only 43% of teachers at Feinstein report that at least weekly, students receive instruction in writing.[3] The reading scores of these students show that almost half are above the proficiency line, with four percent of those students being proficient with distinction. Feinstein students scored extremely low on the SAT in all subjects with 348, 346, and 353 points in math, reading, and writing, respectively; well below both the state and national averages as seen in Figure 1 above.[4] Compared to other Rhode Island high schools, Feinstein is below them in all aspects of academic performance. According to No Child Left Behind, FHS has not made Adequate Yearly Progress for the 2007-2008 school year, and is classified as having made "insufficient progress" from the most recent previous evaluation.[5] The performance progress of the school is not up to par; mathematics index scores are far below other Rhode Island schools, and writing index scores do not meet the standard either.[6]
Demographics and Graduation Rates
The majority of the 367 students are Hispanic (59%), followed by African Americans (22%), with 12% being Caucasian and 7% Asian Pacific Islander or American Indian/Alaskan Native.[7] There is plenty of staff with a 17:1 student-teacher ratio.[8] As seen in the chart above, of these 367 students, Feinstein consistently graduates only 56% of them, one of the lowest graduation rates for a school of that size, but in the top 15 of all schools in Rhode Island. Each year, some 13-27% of students drop out; the number fluctuates from year to year.[9]
Demographics and Academic Performance
In all cases of different demographic indicators, math scores on the NECAP are alarmingly low; none of the African Americans, Asians, females, or students with disabilities even reach proficiency.[10] No information was given for the Native American, white, or migrant students because there are not enough of them to provide a solid sample. Poverty does not seem to measurably affect either math or reading scores; there is no achievement gap between these two groups. Although reading scores are unacceptably far beneath state standards and not even half of the student body reaches proficiency, as a whole, they are the "strong point of Feinstein High School. [11] The school is currently coming up with ideas to incorporate math into their curriculum of projects to raise their testing scores.
Safety, Satisfaction
More than one-third of the student population experiences academic issues most of the time. Getting along with teachers is also an issue that 9% of Feinstein students experience. Nearly 15% are experiencing personal or family problems. These numbers are not the highest in the state, but not the lowest either. The school location in Providence is probably a factor in the student's responses; drug dealing and robberies are somewhat common in most major cities. 19% of Feinstein students say they've been robbed one or more times in school while 14% say someone tried to sell them drugs in school once or more. Of all 367 students, 9% say that being bullied or harassed by other students is an obtrusion at school. Each of these numbers is lower than the Rhode Island state average. ([12] )
Summary:
Teachers at Feinstein feel that they are included, treated with respect, and are an important part of decision-making and curriculum establishment. At Feinstein, the percentage of teachers who say those things is much higher than the state average In particular, 80% of FHS teachers feel that they help to make school policy decisions versus only 40% of teachers throughout the rest of the state. They also feel that they maintain a good spirit amongst each other. Most teachers say that they interact with students in a way that shows both interest and respect, and that they use positive approaches to help the student behave constructively. Teachers also believe that students in their classes enjoy working together. 38% of students say that their teachers do take a personal interest in them and their academic success, and 25% say that they often get help and advising from teachers. ([13] )
Conclusion
Feinstein High School is a revolutionary institution with the capacity to change both learning and teaching techniques. Teachers should encourage students to not only reach standards, but to exceed them. The students are in a free environment such that they are able to explore, question, and communicate with each other, teachers, and member of the community with whom they are working. Since FHS does not require any type of testing, it comes as no surprise that the NECAP and SAT test scores are so low across the board and that student at the school are not meeting state standards. The students will be able to come up with creative solutions to problems with which they are faced; at some point they will not be such a low-rated school simply because they run a different program with a different - yet still effective - teaching style. As the teachers and students learn to understand and help each other, the school will begin to show significant improvements in the abilities of its students.SALT Reports. Findings on Student Learning. Retrieved November 6, 2010, from http://www.eride.ri.gov/salt
Rhode Island Information Works. (2008). Providence. Learning and Achievement; Assessments. Retrieved November 5, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/pdf/achievement/28179H-achi.pdf
SALT Reports. Profile of Feinstein High School. Retrieved November 6, 2010, from http://www.eride.ri.gov/salt
Rhode Island Information Works. (2008). Providence. Learning and Achievement; Assessments. Retrieved November 5, 2010, from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/pdf/achievement/28179H-achi.pdf
Rhode Island Information Works. (2008). Providence. Safe and Supportive Schools: Students' Point of View. Retrieved November 5, 2010, fromhttp://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/state/pov-high.pdf
Rhode Island Information Works. (2008). Providence. Safe and Supportive Schools: Connectedness. Retrieved November 6, 2010 from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2009/pdf/connectedness/28179H-conn.pdf
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